by Gwen Garrison, PhD, High Sierra Insights 

As we continue this month’s theme of spring cleaning, let’s talk about tidying up—not with brooms and dustpans, but by refreshing and refining our organizational data. How can we clean up our data in ways that go beyond the usual fixes?

At its core, data cleaning is one of the most important activities we can undertake to enhance the value of our data and improve cross-operational usage within an association. Clean, well-maintained data allows us to streamline automated integrations, tell more compelling stories through business intelligence platforms, and foster a stronger data-driven culture for better decision-making.

by Gwen Garrison, PhD, High Sierra Insights 
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Although it may seem a little kitschy, it is February and everywhere we turn there are images of love all around us. Though many of us don’t associate data with love, we can use this moment to talk about how organizational leaders can, and should, show their data a little love and in doing so, reap rewards in their organizations. 

Let's start with a simple but elegant definition of love. I've come to define love as the ‘unconditional positive regard for a person, place, or thing.’  What this means is that I accept an object of my affection with both the flaws and the jewels. That said, I also try to make it sparkle and shine with a bit of tender loving care. 

How does this apply to data? Let me share 3 ways.
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by Gwen Garrison, PhD, High Sierra Insights
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Association innovation is critical for both member engagement and organizational vitality. Let’s look at this through the lens of data strategy by developing key business questions and developing a master data list.

First, the engine of any association is its people. Nearly all associations express their mission and vision through the work of the executives and staff to enhance and improve member engagement. The main issue today is how to stay fresh with so many competing demands, especially under the strain of aging technology.

Ever since I was a little girl, I was curious at how math helps us navigate our lives and help us understand what we know. That same curiosity guides me today to help navigate a complex world where decisions are layered and full of uncertainty. This passion, aided by rigorous education, propels me to ask how nonprofits can connect through data to drive decision-making. I have four tips.

by ​Towsif Nasor, PMP

In today’s day and age, data can be the lifeblood of any organization. For any organization, having reliable and accurate data is essential for growth. Reliable and accurate data enables organizations to make data driven decisions, helping drive forward member engagement and operational efficiencies. In this blog post, I will discuss the benefits and challenges organizations may face related to data.

Updating and transitioning Association Management System (AMS) software can be daunting, complex, and rewarding. Modern AMS software have many benefits that help staff see members more clearly to create better user experiences and targeted communications that strengthen engagement. To get the most out of these technology transitions, it is worth leadership’s time and energy to think about specific data governance activities to get the most out of their AMS. Our suggestion this week is to focus on your association’s Master Data.

Associations are flush with data. Between the range of initiatives, to the content they create to all the touch points with members - associations often have more data then they can use. At the same time, with the rise of SaaS products that associations are leveraging, the data is getting more and more dispersed across systems, siloed away within each platform. Here are five reasons associations should prioritize data integration as a strategic initiative.

Membership and Marketing data are the backbone of association work. Both create the connection and keep the association name and core activities in-front of core stakeholder audiences whether they be volunteer opportunities, educational information, or conference invitations. ​

On any given weekend, I aspire to clean out my garage. My garage is a treasure trove of useful tools (gardening, power, and hand tools), seasonal decorations, and mementos of past endeavors. I'll admit I have one whole crate of 35mm slides from when I was a budding photojournalist. I whence that only about half of this stuff is still useful, and maybe only on an occasional basis.