Geoff Zakaib talks about digital social innovation and leveraging technology in nonprofit organizations.

1. Digital Social Innovation and
Leveraging Technology in
Nonprofit Organizations
Geoff Zakaib P.Eng., MBA
CCVO Connections Conference
April 14, 2015

2. Presentation Outline
• Innovation and Social Innovation
• Digital Social Innovation
– The Social Age and Digital Civil Society
– Digital Technology Transformation
• Nonprofit Data and Information
– Data Innovation and Markets for Good
– Social Sector Information and Open Data
– Initiatives and Opportunities in Canada
– Data for Good and Data Life Cycle
• Technology in Nonprofit Organizations
– Nonprofit Technology Trends
– Technology Assessment and Implementation
– Nonprofit Technology Resources

3. Innovation
• Innovation is the process through which economic and social
value is extracted from knowledge through the generation,
development, and implementation of ideas to produce new or
improved strategies, capabilities, products, services, or
processes ref1
ref2

4. Open Innovation
• Open Innovation is a new paradigm where government,
industry, academia and civil participants work together to co-
create the future and drive structural changes far beyond the
scope of what any one organization could do alone ref3
• Innovating with partners by sharing the risks and the rewards

5. Social Ideas and Concepts
ref4 – Tim Draimin

6. Definitions of Social Innovation

7. SiG’s Definition of Social Innovation

8. Collaboration is the
human face of systems
thinking – Peter Senge
COLLABORATION
Silicon Valley is not a place; it's a
mindset. The Valley's ecosystem is fueled
by culture, connectivity, and creativity
– Victor W. Hwang
MINDSET
LEADERSHIP
Whatever your vision or passion for the future…take the road
less travelled by way of systems entrepreneurship because, as
Robert Frost said, we will look back years from now and know
“that has made all the difference” – Hamoon Ekhtiari
Social innovations not only
emerge from relationships, but
also thrive and endure in
relationships – Al Etmanski
BRIDGING SOCIAL CAPITAL
Ecosystem for Social Innovation

9. Collective Impact

10. The Social Age – Julian Stodd
ref5 – Julian Stodd’s Learning Blog

11. Change in the Social Age

12. The Agile Organization

13. NET Model of Social Leadership

14. Nonprofit Mindset Evolution
ref4 – Tim Draimin

15. Digital Civil Society
• Civil Society and the Social Economy … Lucy Bernholz
• Digital Civil Society - the ways we use our private resources for
public benefit in the digital age

16. Digital Civil Society
• Structures of the social economy in the context of pervasive
digitalization - about ideas like
– Free association, expression and privacy
• Also raises new questions
– Equity, power and access
• Next steps in Digital Civil Society
– New ideas on governance
– Increasing the safety of digital social action
– Digital skills and organizational capacity
– Codes for digital civil society (software, organizational, legal)
– Capture and catalogue global research resources

17. Digital Technology Transformation
• Impact of digital technology
– Innovation
– Transparency
– Collaboration
– Participation
• Characteristics of digital technology
– Connective
– Efficient
– Intelligent
• Potential to contribute to key challenges by reinventing
– Public service, often in less costly ways
– Community, and how people collaborate
– Business, in ways that are better aligned with human needs

18. Digital Social Innovation
• Digital technologies and the Internet are changing how social
innovation happens
• A growing movement of innovators in civil society, technology
and social enterprises are now developing inspiring solutions to
social challenges
• Digital technologies can for example be used for;
– Mobilising large and disperse communities
– Sharing resources and spreading power
– Creating online platforms for citizen participation in policymaking
– Providing open data to create more transparency

19. DSI Clusters – Growth and Development
• Growing A Digital Social Innovation Ecosystem for Europe

20. DSI Technology Areas

21. DSI Technology Areas

22. DSI Categorization

23. BUILDING AN INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE
WILL ENABLE DATA TO BECOME INSIGHT
+
Information Infrastructure Organizes Raw Data Into Useful Information
Knowledge Platforms Uncover Insight
Information
Knowledge
Insight
Information Platforms Synthesize Knowledge
Data

24. Markets for Good

25. Markets for Good – Current State

26. SOCIAL ISSUES
(WHAT IS NEEDED)
INTERVENTIONS
(WHAT WORKS)
ORGANIZATIONS
(WHICH ARE
BEST EQUIPPED
FOR IMPACT)
RESOURCES
(CAPITAL FLOW
DETAILS)
Baseline social indicator
data and information on
the breadth, depth,
addressability, and
drivers of issues,
including beneficiary
needs
e.g., 50% of children from at-
risk backgrounds are below
the basic level for reading
and math skills
The goals, strategies,
and programs for
addressing social
issues, and data,
research and feedback
on their outcomes and
“what works”
e.g., regular nurse visitation
for new mothers and their
babies leads to a 0.2 point
increase in math & reading
GPA in grades 1-6
The goals, strategies,
activities, operations,
and finances of
organizations, their
effectiveness, and
their impact
e.g., Nurse-Family
Partnership is currently
serving 22,795 babies and
their mothers in 40 states
across the U.S.
Details of the grants,
donations, investments,
volunteer time, and
other human capital that
support interventions
and organizations
e.g., The Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation made a
5-year, $10 million grant to
Nurse-Family Partnership in
2007
CATEGORIES OF SOCIAL SECTOR INFORMATION

27. YESTERDAY
Limited, unconnected,
& dated information
TOMORROW
Comprehensive, comparable,
& timely information
BUILDING A BETTER TOMORROW REQUIRES
STRUCTURING THE FRAGMENTED TODAY
INFORMATION INFRASTRUCTURE
• Classifications
• Technical Standards
• Reporting protocols
• Knowledge platforms
• Governance

28. EFFICIENT GIVING WITH GREATER IMPACT
Capital flows more
effectively & easily
Interventions are more
effective & innovative
• More money to
the organizations
with the greatest
results
• Less expensive to
move money
• Improved programs
& services
• New and expanded
programs & services
• Brand new
innovations
EVIDENCE OF
SOCIAL RETURN
FUNDERS
NONPROFITS &
SOCIAL BUSINESSESTIME, MONEY,
EXPERIENCE
FEEDBACK
BENEFICIARIES
INTERVENTION
S

29. STRUCTURED & CONNECTED
INFORMATION & KNOWLEDGE
EVIDENCE OF
SOCIAL RETURN
FEEDBACK
INFORMATION INSIGHTINSIGHTINFORMATIONINSIGHTINFORMATION
FUNDERS
NONPROFITS &
SOCIAL BUSINESSES BENEFICIARIES
GREATER IMPACT
& EVIDENCE OF
THAT IMPACT
TIME, MONEY,
EXPERIENCE INTERVENTION
S
CENTERED ON A SYSTEM OF SHARED KNOWLEDGE

30. Markets for Good – Future State
In this system stakeholders have
easy access to the information they
need to make important decisions.
• Funders make informed capital allocation decisions
(investments, grants, and donations)
• Nonprofits and Social Businesses have information and
feedback so they can learn, adapt, and scale
• Beneficiaries have a voice

31. International Initiatives
• Three Sixty Degree Giving
– “The more we know, the better grants we can make”
– 360giving hopes to give people confidence to publish and talk about
their data openly
– Developed the three sixty degree giving standard for grant data
• Basic Registry of Identified Global Entities
– A new collaborative project that aims to revolutionize information
sharing
– Better understand the flows of philanthropic dollars, enhance
transparency and effectiveness in the global social sector
– Assigns a unique identifier, a “numerical fingerprint” for nonprofits

32. Social Sector Knowledge Sharing
• Three of the world’s largest foundations will require open
licensing of all grant-funded products and content
• The “open” ethos (open content, open access, open source, open
license, open culture) is a sector strength
• Manifesto for 2015 and Beyond
– We recognize and value the power of our collective intelligence.
– We acknowledge that publishing is a key activity for nonprofits.
– Our publishing practices should and can be better aligned with why we
publish in the first place: to better understand and inform social change.
– We will stop focusing solely on one-off dissemination and ad hoc solutions
and will using shared systems for open publishing and knowledge sharing.
– We can learn from and build on what’s happening in other sectors.
ref6 – Issue Lab

33. Community Knowledge Exchange (CKX)
• An INTERACTIVE and open EXPLORATION of community knowledge
• Themes for 2014 CKX Summit – How can we …..
– turn existing DATA into KNOWLEDGE to drive CHANGE
– use RESEARCH to make more informed DECISIONS
– use STORIES to demonstrate our IMPACT
– know we are MAKING a DIFFERENCE

34. Community Knowledge
• 3 Things for Community Knowledge
– Share what you have got (even if you think it isn’t much)
– Stop waiting for perfection
– Have the courage to follow someone else’s lead
• CKX Manifesto
– CKX is a platform for collective social change
– CKX seeks a FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT in how individuals, institutions and
communities build and share community knowledge in the pursuit of social
change
– CKX is both a catalyst and a curator of that FUNDAMENTAL SHIFT
• A few things that CKX is up to;
– Exploring how we can use shared measurement and evaluation practices
– Developing a common reporting standard for funders and grantmakers
– Unlocking and sharing all kinds of data

35. Open Future – Data Priorities for the NFP Sector
• Mowat Centre Not-For-Profit Research Hub – February 2015
• Open Data is data that can be freely used, modified, and shared by
anyone for any purpose;
– available under an open license
– available in a convenient, modifiable form and machine-readable
– accessible as a whole, with little or no cost associated with its use

36. Types of Data

37. Open Data Recommendations
• Assess
– Detailed assessment of the sector’s existing datasets and sources
– Articulate the shared resources and tools needed to build data capacity in the sector
• Strategize
– Engage in public discussions and communicate the value that NFP-related data can offer
– Conversations and partnerships with municipal governments for further collaboration
• Encourage
– Sector funders can act as a key driver of change by encouraging open data practices
– New forms of collaboration, such as shared data collection and data services
– Standards based on emerging international best practices
• Lead
– Sector associations can lead discussion on needs and priorities for open data
– Individual organizations can contribute by developing data strategies
– Government can establish communities of practice and in development of standards

38. Open Calgary
• Focused on the foundations of the Open City across all sectors
• Open Government, Open Data, Open Innovation and Open Engagement
• Open Calgary is a …
– Forum for communication and knowledge exchange
– Centre for learning and capacity building
– Network for research and innovation support

39. Government of Canada – Data on Charities

40. Federal Budget 2014 - Investing in Communities

41. T3010 Challenges for Redesign

42. PoweredbyData
• Recognized in 2014 by NPC as one of the top 10 Innovations in Global Philanthropy

43. Sector Landscape
• Data collected from multiple funders on the projects they are
supporting and presented in a interface that can be searched
by keyword, city, province and other criteria

44. 
Place2Give / DVI
Mission: To harness the frontier of charity sector data to make charitable
giving part of the every day banking and consumer experience.
Mandate: To positively influence $1Billion in charitable transactions through
the development of innovative philanthropy technologies and customized
consulting services.

46. Database
 Data from both the CRA and IRS
 Augmented and enhanced with additional data from
various sources
 Crawling
 Text Mining / Natural Language Analysis
 Manual Input
 Third Party Sources
 External API’s
 Not all data is publically available
 Goal: Build Comprehensive Charity Profiles

47. The Power of Data
 How can we use research to make more informed
decisions?
 How can we turn data into knowledge to drive
change?
 How can we use stories to demonstrate our impact?
 How do we know we’re making a difference,
together?

48. Data and Nonprofit Organizations
Background
• Amount and importance of data is ever increasing
• Difficult for NPOs to navigate this evolving landscape and to use
data efficiently and effectively (lack of time, money and training)
• Data professionals with knowledge and skills want to become more
engaged with NPOs to use their expertise for social good
• Worldwide ‘Data for Social Good’ movement that is spreading
Value of Data
• Growing recognition of the need to;
– collect data about programs and operations,
– manage the data well,
– make data-informed decisions,
– share insights with stakeholders and society

50. Data for Good
Data for Good - Calgary
• Putting data into action for social good in Calgary
• Started in Nov 2013 and now have 300+ members
• Partnering to assist local nonprofit organizations
• DataThons: intense weekend events, significant preparation
• DataCorps: project-based volunteer assistance to nonprofits
• Arrange monthly Meetups and collaborate with organizations
nationally & internationally
More Information
• Meetup Group: www.meetup.com/Data-for-Good-Calgary/
• Twitter: @DataForGoodYYC
• Geoff Zakaib: geoff@lumina.ca

52. Spring 2015 DataThon
• Partnering with the Calgary Distress Centre
• Friday May 29 – 7pm to 9pm
• Saturday May 30 – 8am to midnight
• Sunday May 31 – 9am to noon
• University of Calgary – Information and Communication Technology

53. People, Processes and Technology

54. Data Life Cycle: Background
Why is the Data Life Cycle important?
• Data is a valuable asset within nonprofit organizations
• Value of data has to be sustained over the complete life cycle
• Data deluge and risk of data loss can be addressed
• Data can be used to make more effective decisions and to improve
operational efficiency
Key Considerations
• Data Life Cycle provides a framework
• Applies to all levels of data management maturity
• Context is important – data in non-profit organizations
• Not just technical – may be one of the least important factors

55. Data Life Cycle

56. Nonprofit Data Resources
Data Life Cycle
• USGS Data Management Website – Data Life Cycle Overview
• Data Management Planning Considerations – Checklist
• DataONE: resources for data management planning
• DMPTool: free online tool for creating data management plans
Other ‘Data for Social Good’ Organizations
• DataKind
• Data Analysts for Social Good, Do Good Data Conference
• Data for Good – Nesta report
• Powered by Data
• Data Science for Social Good
• Data & Society Research Institute

57. Nonprofit Data Resources

58. Nonprofit Technology Trends
• Social Technology Landscape
– It's about building communities, fostering new ways of collaborating,
and guiding these efforts to achieve a purpose
• Digital Technology Strategy
– Digital technologies like mobile, social and analytics compliment rather
than compete with current systems and information, enabling greater
leverage with less disruption
– Digital strategy brings together digital and physical resources resulting in
innovation rather than disruption
– Concentrate on specific outcomes rather than implementing grand
strategies giving the effort a clear and manageable focus
• Digital Transformation - Impact on nonprofit value chains
• Digital isn't optional - Values Aligned Technology

59. Digital Technology Assessment
• Steps to Evaluate and Optimize Nonprofit's Use of Digital Tools
• Organizational Assessment of Digital Tools
– About your organization: General Organizational Info
– How your Organization communicates
– How your Organization fundraises
– Your Organization’s Website
– Your Organization’s Email Strategy
– Your Organization’s Social Media Strategy and Use
– Other online tools
– How your organization collaborates and backs up data
• Data Maturity: Where Does Your Nonprofit Stand?

60. Nonprofit IT Maturity Model

61. Nonprofit Digital Strategy Challenges
2015 Digital Outlook Report

62. Technology Implementation
• Tech Is Everyone’s Job
– Make Technology Part of Everyone’s Job
– Don’t Stop Training on Day 2
– Shared Investment in Outcomes
– Creating Space for Innovation
• Idealware Field Guide to Software for Nonprofits
• Technology Resources for Social Innovators
• Innoweave - Practical Tools for Social Innovation

63. TIMERAISER
Timeraiser 101
Bid Time on Art and Support Great
Causes. Artists get paid. Nonprofits connect to
skilled volunteers. Skilled people put their
time to good use. And, y’know, fun!

64. Nonprofit Technology Resources (#nptech)