NEW YORK — Jan. 15, 2015 — DataKind, a nonprofit that connects social good organizations with leading data scientists to solve problems and inform decision-making, will expand its programs to help more social good organizations use data to advance their work. The expansion is funded by $1.1 million from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.
Related Link
“DataKind expanding to help more social good organizations use data to advance their work” – by Jake Porway on Knight Blog, 01/15/2015.
The plan builds on previous Knight support to expand DataKind in 2013. New funding will support the growth of three DataKind programs—the DataCorps, the DataKind global chapter network and creation of an in-house data science team—all designed to provide important data science resources to social good organizations around the world.
“Nonprofits and government increasingly express an interest in harnessing data to increase their impact, but few possess the expertise and resources to do so,” said Jon Sotsky, Knight Foundation director for strategy and assessment. “DataKind has emerged as a leader in the data-for-good movement and we hope investing in their growth will ultimately drive greater effectiveness in the social sector.”
DataKind’s signature program, the DataCorps, brings together a leading group of pro bono data scientists to work with mission-driven organizations for six-months to use data science to maximize their impact. Current DataCorps projects are tackling big data challenges for nonprofits such as Crisis Text Line and GlobalGiving. For example, at Crisis Text Line, a support resource for troubled youth that allows them to communicate through texting, DataKind volunteers are leveraging extensive data from more than 4 million messages between teens and specialists. The data is being used to design a system to route teens with identified issues more quickly to a trained specialist. At GlobalGiving, a charity fundraising website, DataKind volunteers are helping the organization use data to improve the way people search and find projects of interest on the site.
A new slate of projects is scheduled to begin in 2015. Support from Knight Foundation will enable DataKind to take on DataCorps projects with more than 50 unique nonprofits over the next three years. The work will help these organizations build their data capacity, promote data-driven decision-making, and increase social impact through advanced data analytics.
With six volunteer-led chapters, DataKind is leading efforts to bring socially conscious data science to Bangalore, India; Dublin, Ireland; San Francisco; Singapore, the United Kingdom and Washington, D.C. Chapters organize events and connect local data science volunteers with social good organizations. Recent weekend-long events hosted by DataKind Dublin and DataKind UK resulted in tremendous breakthroughs for charities tackling issues of poverty, direct learning support for children, youth mentorship and economic development. New Knight funding will help DataKind establish chapters in 9 new cities by 2017, expanding DataKind’s global network.
Finally, Knight Foundation support will lay the foundation for DataKind’s first in-house data science team. The team will pilot a data science service for projects too ambitious for a short-term, pro bono engagement. Knight Foundation will act as DataKind’s first “client,” supporting projects related to the foundation’s issue areas.
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to deepen our relationship with Knight Foundation,” said Jake Porway, DataKind’s founder and executive director. “This support will help us scale our efforts, demonstrate the power of data science and prove that our framework for engaging the world’s top data scientists and social sector leaders is an effective way to address critical social issues in the world.”
About DataKind
DataKind™ harnesses the power of data science in the service of humanity by engaging data science and social sector experts on projects addressing critical humanitarian problems and by leading the conversation about how data science can be applied to solve the world’s biggest challenges. Launched in 2011, DataKind leads a community of passionate data scientists, visionary partners and mission-driven organizations with the talent, commitment and energy to use data science in the service of humanity. DataKind is headquartered in New York City and has Chapters in Bangalore, Dublin, San Francisco, Singapore, the UK and Washington, D.C. More information on DataKind, our programs and our partners can be found on our website: www.datakind.org
About the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation
Knight Foundation supports transformational ideas that promote quality journalism, advance media innovation, engage communities and foster the arts. We believe that democracy thrives when people and communities are informed and engaged. KnightFoundation.org
CONTACTS:
Miriam Young, Communications Specialist, DataKind: 646-259-5043, [email protected]
Anusha Alikhan, Director of Communications, Knight Foundation: 305-908-2677, [email protected]