The Common Good Data Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Building a strong data culture in nonprofits and public sector organizations can bring big advantages. When leaders focus on using data, they save time, raise more money, and make better choices for their organizations.

Even though it might seem tough to invest in data with limited budgets, the long-term benefits make it worthwhile. By using data to guide their actions, organizations improve how they work and make a bigger impact on the people they serve.

In this episode, Drew shares exactly how creating a culture of data can lead to these positive changes. You’ll also hear real examples of organizations using data to make smarter choices, improve their programs, and build long-term success.

You’ll hear:

(02:45) How investing in data capacity saves time and allows your organization to focus on its mission.

(04:00) The real reason many organizations remain stuck in manual and time-consuming reporting.

(05:10) How better data leads to securing that next six-figure grant for your nonprofit.

(07:05) The challenge three out of four nonprofit leaders face when evaluating and reporting impact.

(09:30) Why data is essential for making better strategic decisions and empowering leaders to think long-term.

A strong and effective board can make a big difference for organizations, especially those that are looking to grow, get to the next level, be more strategic, and ultimately increase their impact.

With decades of experience revitalizing alumni boards and developing leadership in nonprofits, our guest, Deb Macfarlan Enright, shares her strategies for engaging board members and cultivating effective leadership that drives meaningful impact.

We explore how nonprofits can transform their leadership approach by leveraging the passion and expertise of their members to build stronger communities.

Whether you’re an executive director, a board member, or a nonprofit leader, this episode will share how to create a dynamic, engaged, and impactful board culture.

You’ll Hear:

(01:45) Three strategies for recruiting excellent board members

(06:28) How to attract board members with specific skills like legal, HR, or networking

(21:19) What a new board member needs to learn to be effective in their first 90 days

(27:11) What approach to take to ensure accountability among board members

(29:47) How to measure board members’ contributions beyond attendance

This podcast episode focuses on planning for successful grant writing in prevention, with an emphasis on factors outside the proposal narrative that are critical to success. This podcast was generated following a workshop given by Drew in collaboration with the Southeast PTTC. Though the examples focus specifically on substance use prevention, many elements of this presentation are relevant for grant writing in any field.

Download the Prevention Grant Writing Toolkit which provides a step-by-step guide to winning your next 6- or 7- figure federal, state, or local grant. In this episode:

Listeners will learn how to:

Identify and select grant opportunities that are a strong fit for their organization. Participants will know where to go to find grants and opportunities for their organization.

Develop a year-long timeline for grant writing and reports to funders.

Describe standard components of a grant proposal.

Prepare pre-written materials that can be modified to meet grant requirements.

Build a team to write the grant.

Identify common frameworks, including SAMHSA’s Strategic Prevention Framework, to reference when writing prevention grants.

Organize their work to meet grant requirements.

Identify community engagement strategies to demonstrate your commitment to the problem and your relationships with existing partners engaging in similar work.

Build effective partnership agreements to accomplish grant goals and document these through letters of support or memoranda of understanding.

Roughly 1 in 3 Latino adults do not have access to health insurance in Charlotte, NC - a rate much higher than other cultural groups. Lack of access to health insurance coupled with mental health stigma lead to significant barriers for Latino families in accessing mental health services and programs. As we celebrate May as maternal and mental health awareness month, we’ve invited Juliana Lozano of Despierta CLT to talk about her work providing culturally responsive mental health services and reducing stigma. We talk about the importance of community partnerships, use of surveys to gather community feedback and how referral processes can help clients get access to care. Juliana also shares two compelling success stories of clients who have been transformed through the work of Despierta. Roger, Juliana, and Drew also reminisce about songs that bring joy.

On March 28, 2024, the US Census Bureau published a news release that they have issued updated standards for maintaining, collecting and presenting race and ethnicity data.

Because so many nonprofit and public sector organizations base their collection of race and ethnicity data on US Census standards, these changes will likely have far-reaching effects, particularly for those organizations who receive federal funding to provide programs and services.

In this episode, Drew provides a quick summary of the new US Census updates and how you might implement changes in your data collection processes to be consistent with the new standards. You can also read a blog post on this topic on the website.

View the podcast and show notes at www.commongooddata.com/podcast

Please subscribe, rate and review.

How does your organization use data and storytelling to drive positive narratives and engage stakeholders in the “why” of your mission? We are joined today by Becca O'Neill and Stefanía Arteaga of Carolina Migrant Network who talk about their work protecting immigrant communities through the provision of legal assistance and organizing/advocacy work. This compelling episode will help you better understand the challenges facing undocumented individuals, including the difficulties of obtaining asylum and the ways that enforcement and detention can dehumanize migrant communities. We also discuss how data can drive narratives - both negative and positive - and the importance of storytelling in communicating an organization’s mission and values.

View the podcast and shownotes at www.commongooddata.com/podcast

Please subscribe, rate, and review.

Writing federal grant proposals can be tough - especially when it comes to writing goals, defining outcomes, and showing how you will demonstrate your impact.

In this episode, Drew dives into tips and strategies for how to talk about data collection in your federal grant proposals.

He talks about performance measures, building a plan for data collection, identifying useful data collection tools, and how to align your data collection procedures across your proposal with a performance measures table.

Use tips from this episode to help separate yourself from the field and win that next six- or seven-figure federal grant.

Announcing: The Common Good Data Podcast! In our trailer episode, we share how this podcast - designed for nonprofit and government leaders - will help you use data and evaluation strategies to build effective and sustainable programs in the areas of prevention, mental health, human services, and education. Hosted by the dynamic social work duo - Drew Reynolds and Roger Suclupe

What brings you joy in your work? How do you find purpose and meaning in your career? This week, we invited award-winning mental health practitioner, speaker, spiritual healer, podcaster, advocate, and author Erica Sandoval to talk meaning, purpose, leadership, and storytelling in social work practice. Erica shares about her experience as President of NASW New York, her career journey in starting Sandoval CoLab, and her book Latinx/e in Social Work. We also talk a lot about the importance of relationships in social work leadership - and not being afraid to take a new courageous step in your career. Keeping with the New York theme, we talk Beastie Boys and A Tribe Called Quest. At the top we listen to U2’s “Angel of Harlem” and close out the episode with “It’s Tricky” by DMC.

What is the relationship between food and health? Can food be medicine? This week, we invited Matt Pieper from Open Hand Atlanta to talk about food, nutrition, and community health. We discuss research showing the effectiveness of medically-tailored nutrition interventions, we examine the ways social enterprise can support nonprofits and other socially-conscious missions, and we mix it with great music including “TV Dinners” from ZZ Top and “Peaches” from The Presidents of the United States. Check out this great episode!