Cohort 1 Dates
- Getting started
- Knowing your data
- Knowing your tools
- Assessing your gaps, identifying your opportunities, and imagining solutions
- Planning your next steps
- Bringing it all together & cohort showcase
6
sessions over three months
2hrs
virtual interactive workshop every two weeks
4–6hrs
per month of participant time
15
participants — space is limited
What is the cohort?
The Data Capacity Cohort is a six-session, three month applied learning program designed to build the capacity of nonprofit organizations to support more successful digital transformations and technology implementation. This cohort program builds from the Nonprofit Data Journey Maps. In this cohort program, organizations will be guided through the activities for first two milestones in the journey maps: Know and Assess. Each cohort will focus on a different journey across three interrelated areas: People, Purpose, and Practical.
Organizations will be supported through a structured and guided process of assessing their current data and technology landscape, understanding the possibilities for the future, identifying challenges and possible solutions, both human and technical, and determining a feasible action plan to address data challenges tailored to their organization.
Why Join the Cohort?
Get access to a supportive and shared learning environment, build your organizational data capacity, and receive coaching and support to help you action your work.
This program is about discovery, not judgment. Data challenges are systemic in the nonprofit sector. The cohort brings a group of folks together to collectively work on data challenges at their organizations and to identify realistic, feasible, and actionable solutions tailored to your organization.
What to Expect
By participating in the cohort, you can expect:
Participants should expect to spend approximately 4–6 hours per month over three months.
A 2-hour virtual interactive workshop every two weeks
These workshops will include foundational learning, hands on activities, and time for peer support and connection. These workshops are scheduled bi-weekly so that participants have time in between sessions to apply what they've learned in their organizations and gather more information.
Light pre-work and post-work in between sessions
To get the most out of the cohort, participants should anticipate completing some work outside of the sessions. All activities are practical, hands on, and build upon each other to set organizations up to implement identified solutions after the cohort ends.
Peer support and coaching
Optional facilitator office hours available for drop in coaching in between sessions and peer support community online to ask questions and keep building momentum.
What Will Participants and Organizations Get at the End?
By the end of these 6 sessions, participants will, on behalf of their organization, have:
- a clearer understanding of what data the organization holds, what it is used for, and what value it has to the organization
- a clearer understanding of what digital tools and systems are being used across the organization
- started or completed foundational documents, including a data inventory, tool inventory, and process maps
- identified key gaps and risks related to the organization's data and tools
- identified a possible solution and next steps to improve the organization's data and tools
Participants will walk away with practical documents, knowledge, and processes to keep building their organizational data capacity.
Is This Program Right for You?
This cohort is designed for staff at nonprofit organizations who work with data in any capacity — whether you're just starting out or looking to strengthen existing practices. You should be open to learning alongside peers from other nonprofits and have some organizational access and mandate to take action on what they learn. The cohort is focused on building organizational data capacity.
This may include staff with titles such as but not limited to:
- Program Managers and Directors
- Data Analysts and Evaluation Specialists
- Monitoring and Evaluation Coordinators
- Operations Managers
- Anyone responsible for data collection, analysis, or reporting, either for your organization or for specific programs
You may be a good fit if your organization:
- Collects or is planning to collect data on programs, clients, or outcomes but isn't sure how to use it effectively
- Is considering a new technology or data system and wants to build internal capacity first
- Wants to better understand its current data landscape before making decisions
- Is ready to invest time in structured learning and peer connection
What are the dates?
We're piloting two rounds of this cohort program in Winter 2027 and Spring 2027 with a focus on the Practical Journey. Sessions will be held virtually between 10 am and 12 pm MT.
Cohort 2 Dates
- Getting started
- Knowing your data
- Knowing your tools
- Assessing your gaps, identifying your opportunities, and imagining solutions
- Planning your next steps
- Bringing it all together & cohort showcase
What Does the Cohort Cover?
Session 1: Getting Started
Description
- Introductions and getting to know each other
- Assessing where your organization is currently at and where you want to go
Intended Outcomes
- Clearer understanding of data maturity journeys for nonprofit organizations
- Understand their organization's current data maturity by completing a Data Maturity Assessment
- Identified goals for the cohort and for the future
Activities
- Completed Data Maturity Assessment for their organization
- Completed goals for the cohort and for the future
Session 2: Knowing Your Data
Description
- Building shared language around data
- Understanding what kinds of data are often collected and used
- Documenting your data
Intended Outcomes
- Clearer understanding of the kinds of data nonprofit organizations typically collect and what makes it more or less risky
- Clearer understanding of what kinds of data your organization holds
- Create a data inventory, both for the organization and/or for specific programs or areas
- Create process maps to identify data flows and improvement opportunities
Activities
- Data Inventory started for a) all organizational data and b) for one key program
- Data process map started for one key process
Session 3: Knowing Your Tools
Description
- Building shared language around tools and technology
- Understanding what digital tools can and cannot do and when you may need to consider other options to address your challenges
- Understanding how to evaluate digital tools to support your goals
Intended Outcomes
- Clearer understanding of what kinds of digital tools and technology are available and being used at nonprofit organizations
- Clearer understanding of what kinds of digital tools are being used currently at their organizations
- Clearer understanding of what their tools and technology needs are
- Create an organizational digital tool and system inventory
- Identify requirements for tools and technology for their organization
Activities
- Tools Inventory started for one key program
- List of requirements started for one key program
Session 4: Assessing Your Gaps, Identifying Your Opportunities, and Imagining Solutions
Description
- Analyzing gaps between data inventory and tool inventory
- Identifying challenges and opportunities in data process map
- Generating and exploring potential solutions to identified gaps
Intended Outcomes
- Clearer understanding of gaps, risks, and opportunities for their data and tools
- Identified range of possible solutions, both human and technical, to address identified gaps
Activities
- Gaps and opportunities assessment started for one key program
- Solutions inventory started
Session 5: Planning Your Next Steps
Description
- You don't have to do everything, you just have to start — deciding what to do next and building a realistic data action plan
Intended Outcomes
- Clearer understanding of how to prioritize solutions
- Identified priorities for action based on feasibility and impact
- Clearer understanding of how to document decisions
Activities
- Solutions prioritization matrix started
- Action plan document started
Session 6: Bringing It All Together & Cohort Showcase
Description
- Celebrating where you started and where you got to
- Understanding how you can use this work in other ways and the iterative nature of the data maturity journey
- Creating sustainable change
Intended Outcomes
- Clearer understanding of next steps and how to action their work
- Identified next steps
- Create a strategic action plan for next steps for data capacity development
Activities
- Action plan document completed or in progress
- Feedback and reflection form completed
Sign Up
Cohort registration is now open! To register, complete the expression of interest form below.
The cohort will be capped at 15 participants to support optimal engagement. Space is limited. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
If you have questions about the cohort, reach out to the team using the contact us form.
What Happens After You sign up?
We will review applications and reach out with next steps shortly.
Check out the rest of the Nonprofit Data Capacity Navigator resources and supports to help build your organizational capacity to use, manage, and analyze data.