Wilder Research Training Series: Helping Greater Minnesota Make Data-Informed Decisions

Wilder Research is offering this 3-part online training series to help organizations in Northern Minnesota learn how to use data to make decisions to improve programs, services, and outcomes for the people they serve. Participants will use practical tools and activities to build knowledge and capacity to make data-informed decisions to plan for the future, set better policy, and ensure wise use of resources.

Registration for the first session registers you for all three sessions.

Participants will learn how to:

Use data from their organization and Minnesota Compass, and tools including selecting data indicators for your community
Assess their current organization’s current data-based decision making
Use methods and best practices for data-based decision making
Consider key factors when interpreting data for decision making

Who should attend the training?

School, city or a county officials
Community and social justice activists
Philanthropists
Nonprofit directors, managers, and staff
Fundraising managers
Program managers and developers
Social, health or human services directors, managers, and staff

Participants are encouraged to attend all three 90-minute online sessions, but feel free to attend what you can.

Training will include presentations and facilitated activities using real examples from organizations’ work in Northern Minnesota.

Tuesday, Oct. 26, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Session 1 - Identify the decision you want to make What problem are you trying to solve? Are you making a strategic funding or programmatic decision? Seeking to identify your program effectiveness or make program improvements?

Tuesday, Nov. 9, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Session 2 - Identify and practice using tools to facilitate data-informed solutions to our problems Review the problems you identified and practice using tools to support informed decision-making.

Thursday, Dec. 9, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m.: Session 3 - Improving our work and telling our story What decision did you make with data? Which problem did you try to solve with data? Which data and tool(s) did you use? How will you use your data to tell your story to stakeholders?

About Wilder Research and Minnesota Compass

Wilder Research is an independent research unit of the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation. As one of the nation’s largest nonprofit research and evaluation groups, we work with nonprofits, community leaders, government agencies, foundations and policymakers throughout Minnesota and the country to gather and interpret facts and trends, help them uncover and understand issues affecting their communities and how best to address them, and inform action that improves lives and communities. Minnesota Compass, a project of Wilder Research, provides data, information, and a platform from which leaders and organizations can work together to take productive action to improve their communities.