Events Data for Social Impact

Data is for Everyone: A Data for Social Impact Summit

This event took place in person from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on November 15 at the Clark-Fox Forum in Hillman Hall at Washington University in St. Louis and online.

About the event

At the summit, social sector colleagues with diverse roles and levels of experience joined together to connect and learn new strategies for leveraging data in ways that advance equitable outcomes and improve impact. This day-long event included multiple opportunities to engage in dialogue about how to cultivate collaborative, equitable data practices across government, philanthropy, non-profits, and impacted communities.

Attendees came away with:

  • a deepened shared commitment to equity and community-centered data science for social impact
  • priority access to a newly released set of free self-paced, online modules focused on collaborative and equitable data practices
  • examples of innovative ways social sector organizations are utilizing data to increase impact in St. Louis and beyond 
  • tangible tools and next steps for organizational and collective action

Agenda

9:15-10:15 AM: Opening Plenary and Keynote

Keynote: Trooper Sanders,
Benefits Data Trust

Michal Grinstein-Weiss, Social Policy Institute at Washington University

Mary McKay, Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis

10:15-11:45 AM: Power in Numbers: Innovative Grantmaking and Collaboration for Equitable Community-Centered Data Practice

Facilitator: Atia Thurman, Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis

Erica Williams, A Red Circle

Bridget Flood, Incarnate Word Foundation

Leah Moser, Generate Health STL

Cassandra Kaufman, St. Louis Mental Health Board

12:00-1:00 PM: Lunch Session: Capacity Building for the Social Sector

Diego Mendez-Carbajo, Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis

Shanna Crumley, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth

Joanne Jan, data.org

Amy Hawn Nelson, Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy

Stephen Westbrooks, IFF

1:15-2:45: Data Drills: A Tool for Multi-Agency Data Collaboration

Facilitator: Amen Ra Mashariki, Bezos Earth Fund

Erica Henderson, Key Strategic Group

Andrea Jackson-Jennings, Regional Response Team

Yusef Scoggin, City of St. Louis

3:00-4:00 PM: Equitable Approaches to Data and Technology: What’s Next in Saint Louis and Beyond?

Afua Bruce, Author, The Tech That Comes Next

Paul Sorenson, St. Louis Regional Data Alliance

Simon Huang, City of St. Louis

Katherine Fritz, Missouri Foundation for Health

Resources

  • Data for Social Impact Online Modules. Social Policy Institute
    • This free online course will help you improve your impact by cultivating equitable, community-centered data practices. It draws on conversations with social sector leaders in St. Louis and beyond, and integrates insights from a series of learning events held in 2022 as part of the Data for Social Impact initiative.
  • Data Maturity Assessment and Resource Library. data.org
    • This pair of resources provides organizations with the opportunity to engage with their internal potential while developing the capabilities needed to build competency in data work and centralizes the resources needed to do so.
  • Data Sharing and Integration ResourcesActionable Intelligence for Social Policy
  • Stronger Nonprofits Initiative. IFF
    • This initiative aims to support nonprofits led by people of color in navigating systemic barriers to accessing capital and real estate opportunities by acknowledging disparities in lending and providing resources and tools to increase capacity and build connections to networks.
  • Data Literacy for Librarians. St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank.
    • This resource focuses on seven foundational data literacy competencies and uses FRED® data to provide opportunities for hands-on learning. While developed for librarians, this tool is useful for anyone who wants to build capacity to use FRED® data. They will soon release a companion micro-credential designed for social sector users called “Recognizing Diversity in Data.”
  • Inclusive Growth Score. Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth
    • This resource blends open-source and proprietary data with a layer of insights based on Mastercard’s highly aggregated and anonymized transaction data. Yearly measures related to Place, Economy, and Community provide a comparative social and economic profile of neighborhoods through an overall score and specific metrics. IGS provides accessible insights for place-based economic development

About DSI Events

The Data for Social Impact initiative is a collaboration between the Social Policy Institute at Washington University in St. Louis, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, the St. Louis Regional Data Alliance, and data.org.