Stevie: Fast forward to the end of this year, what kind of impact department achievements do you hope to be celebrating?

Andrea:  

My number one goal is to help empower and educate staff to ensure they’re comfortable with the data and can easily access it to tell the story of our work in each of their worlds. Next, I want to refine our patient impact survey so we have a closer look at how our services are affecting and impacting our families. My third goal is to support the organization’s key objectives and initiatives with data, such as strategic partnerships, program pilots, and equitable delivery of our patient services.

Stevie: What role does data play in helping Family Reach fulfill its mission?

Andrea:  

Data doesn’t lie. It tells us what we do really well and where there are opportunities for improvement. Organizationally, it’s important for us to have data to be successful and transparent in our efforts — but the other piece that’s critical is that the data we collect ties directly to the families who need our support.

Data can inform our next steps, from prioritizing the top languages our resources should be available in based on patient demographics to implementing program improvements to better serve the needs of the cancer community.

Stevie: Do you have any words of wisdom to share with other nonprofits that may be nervous about digging into data?

Andrea:  

Data can be tricky for nonprofits because you need quantitative data but a lot of times, it’s the qualitative data that tells the real story about the organization’s impact. It’s all about mastering the art of using anecdotal data to support the hard numbers. For Family Reach, this means that patient voices will always be part of our impact story.

It’s also important to keep asking yourself, what does success look like? Break it down for certain areas, and know that it can look different for each program, service, or initiative.

My last tidbit would be to give yourself time to pause and evaluate how things are doing and then make recommendations for the next steps. Adding a bunch of data fields is one thing, but digging into what those data fields are telling you is where the story shines.

Stevie: What advice would you share with young women working toward leadership positions, especially those who also love data storytelling and are looking to pursue impact-driven careers?

Andrea:  

Be self-aware. Recognize your strengths and weaknesses and don’t be afraid to own them! You have skills that are so needed, so don’t worry about the historical limitations of women in leadership and instead focus on the amazing ability you have to tell stories through data. Soak up every ounce of experience — good and bad — and learn from the leaders around you. We need the voice of women in leadership so never stop bringing your perspectives to the table!