The Common Good Data Podcast

In a quiet Irish town in 1985, coal merchant Bill Furlong faces a life-altering choice: maintain the status quo or risk everything to do what’s right. This is the heart of Claire Keegan’s Small Things Like These , a novella that feels like it was written for anyone who’s ever faced an ethical dilemma in their work or life. In this holiday episode, you’ll hear the quiet but powerful lessons this st...

Housing has become a silent crisis that's reshaping lives across America, with each rising rent bill and rejected application chipping away at people's sense of stability and hope. In this episode, I'm sitting down with Jeffrey Smythe, executive director of the Atlanta Regional Collaborative for Health Improvement (ARCHI), to explore a different approach to rental assistance. Jeff explains his inn...

What if the key to improving educational outcomes was already in front of us, hidden in the data schools collect every day? Attendance records, test scores, and family surveys offer insight into equity gaps, systemic barriers, and opportunities for intervention—but too often, this data isn’t used effectively. In this episode, we’ll discuss how nonprofit professionals can collaborate with schools t...

Finding accurate, localized demographic data can be a daunting task, especially when working on grant proposals, community assessments, or strategic plans. Publicly available data often falls short—either it’s outdated, too broad, or not specific enough to capture the unique characteristics of a particular community. Fortunately, the Social Explorer is a user-friendly platform that transforms comp...

Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at Common Good Data! As we take a break this week to relax and enjoy time with family and friends, we’re excited to share one of our favorite interviews from 2024. In this episode, we speak with Sil Ganzó, founder of Our Bridge for Kids in Charlotte, North Carolina, an organization that supports immigrant and refugee families through culturally responsive educatio...

How do you measure the strength of the connections in a community—the trust, relationships, and bonds that hold people together. Social capital plays a powerful role in impacting everything from economic mobility to civic participation. But how do we actually quantify these unseen networks? The Social Capital Atlas can answer that question, mapping out data across U.S. counties and zip codes to sh...

Young people are facing an epidemic of loneliness. Despite being the most connected generation, students still feel isolated, disconnected, and uncertain. This lack of connection impacts many areas of their lives—from school attendance and graduation rates to risky behaviors that prevent them from reaching their full potential. For 35 years, Right Moves for Youth has been tackling this issue head-...

As Election Day approaches, the importance of voting is at the forefront of many conversations. However, a healthy democracy relies not just on ballots cast, but on active, connected, and informed communities—what we refer to as civic health . Today, we’re taking a closer look at the concept of civic health and how data—from voting rates to social trust—can reveal a lot about the strengths and cha...

Every nonprofit has a story to tell, but how they tell it can make all the difference. In an attempt to build a social presence, they may present complex issues too simply or stage moments for quick soundbites. This is where powerful, story-driven video can create a better narrative. Matt Pearl, founder of Pearl Impact Media, has years of experience in journalism. He now helps nonprofits amplify t...

If you work with youth, especially in mental health and substance use, the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is an invaluable resource. This survey collects data from students in grades 9–12, revealing key health behaviors and experiences that significantly impact adolescent health. When you understand these trends, you’ll get a clearer picture of what young people are facing, which makes it easie...

The rise in mental health challenges among youth has reached alarming levels. Recent statistics show that 11% of North Carolina children aged 3 to 17 have been diagnosed with depression or anxiety. This marks a significant increase from previous years. The situation is worsened by the pandemic's aftermath and escalating community violence. Both factors have intensified feelings of isolation and in...

Organizations find themselves asking similar questions when it comes to conducting a needs assessment: Where can I find reliable data? How do I know if it’s relevant to my community? Is the information up to date? These are important concerns. Accessing meaningful data can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re trying to make it applicable to the specific work you’re doing. Today, we address th...

Collective impact—a framework where organizations across sectors come together with a shared vision—can play a big role in addressing complex issues like economic mobility. This is especially important in cities like Charlotte, where decades of structural barriers have limited upward mobility for many residents. Collective impact brings together nonprofits, businesses, and government agencies to w...

When it comes to conducting a needs assessment, one of the most important things you can do is listen to the community you’re trying to help. Integrating community voice into your assessment creates programs and services that genuinely reflect what people need and want. Community members have firsthand knowledge about the challenges they face and the resources they lack, which can really shape you...

Behavioral health issues are closely linked to larger social and environmental factors.  That’s why communities need to come together and find sustainable solutions.  For those in human services, mental health, or prevention work, it’s easy to focus solely on delivering programs and services.  However, advancing your mission often involves looking beyond these to embrace advocacy, systems change,...

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 t...

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...

For many organizations, the challenge isn't just in collecting or analyzing data—it's in making data a core part of the decision-making process. Leaders often find it difficult to embed a culture where data-driven decisions are not just encouraged but are the norm. Despite having access to valuable data, teams may hesitate to use it due to a lack of confidence, unclear expectations, or ins...

The rise of youth vaping presents a new and significant challenge in the field of substance use prevention. Despite celebrating the decline in cigarette smoking as a public health win, nicotine use has now moved to vapor products and pouches. This issue is closely linked with concerning trends in youth mental health, particularly in the aftermath of the pandemic. Understanding the connection betwe...

What is a data culture? When we talk about culture, it's about an environment. It's about practices. It's about habits. It's kind of like the air you breathe—the part of an organization that's sometimes hard to pinpoint but is always there. A data culture means creating an environment where the use of data is a priority in decision-making and is part of everything you do. You g...

The 28208 zip code in Charlotte, NC, including the Lakeview neighborhood, is one of the city’s areas with significant economic challenges. Residents born in this neighborhood have less than a 5% chance of transitioning out of poverty into the middle class. Originally established as a mill village for white workers in the late 1930s, Lakeview became predominantly Black in the late 1960s due to urba...

Strong grant proposals use data to convincingly illustrate the potential impact and effectiveness of proposed programs. Yet, for many grant writers—whether applying for federal, state, or local funding—the evaluation section poses a significant challenge. In the third installment of the Evaluation series, Drew discusses how to write about conducting data analysis when drafting successful grant pro...

Many children and young adults facing life-altering conditions, from severe illnesses to disabilities, may experience isolation and hopelessness. Elizabeth Lindsey, co-founder of Dream On 3, joins us this week to discuss their work in bringing hope to these individuals through sports experiences. Dream On 3 connects these individuals with athletes and teams, showing them that their dreams can come...

Sometimes it’s not about doing something new, it’s about doing what you do - even better. This podcast episode focuses on the importance of maintaining an impact mindset as a nonprofit leader. Drew discusses why it’s important to avoid the temptation of novelty for novelty’s sake and make sure that impact drives the work of nonprofit and public-sector organizations. Drew identifies three traits of...

Charlotte, NC is an “immigrant gateway” that has one of the fastest growing immigrant communities in the country. Over 30,000 students in Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools speak a language other than English at home. Immigrant students and their parents encounter all kinds of challenges at school, and immigrant youth often lag behind their peers in a variety of academic and social indicators. To talk...