that the social impact sector is only beginning to engage with the idea of impact in a meaningful, tangible, and sustainable way. And that the current state ain’t great. And that the path ahead is a long and winding road. 

The ethical and reliable transfer of funds is essential for sustaining social impact initiatives. Without effective payment systems, the passion, purpose, and data driving these efforts can't be maintained long-term.

In this webinar, Sebastian Arciniega of iATS Payments and the Sowen team discuss the crucial role of data in social impact and how specialized payment systems for nonprofits enable these critical activities.

Last Fall, Anna Ellington, my Board Chair, and I presented at the East Asia Regional Council of Schools Leadership Conference in Bangkok, Thailand, to a room filled with dynamic school administrative leaders. Our goal was to galvanize an international school community movement to prevent human trafficking by increasing awareness and encouraging action.

Here is what we learned.

I recently attended the 2024 Good Tech Fest at the scenic Sundance Resort in Utah. This three-day event was a melting pot of ideas, where individuals from diverse backgrounds united with a common goal: to leverage data and technology for the betterment of the world. From roundtable discussions to keynote speeches and even casual conversations over dinner, the topics spanned privacy, immigration, mental health, governance, agriculture, art, and more.

Nonprofits often hear the oversimplified advice of acting more like businesses to drive their mission. Instead, we want to encourage them to explore cross-sectoral business strategies that have the potential to drive impact.

Data procrastination is a real issue. There are three specific reasons why we usually procrastinate on addressing the data needs and growth of our organizations. The good news is that there are also clear things we can do about it. This is where you should get started.

Organizations need an event to break the patterns of repetitive behaviors, activities and transition into a state of surplus of change dynamics. There are no rules about what this event is, how long it should take to form meaningful and sustainable change. The where and how matter a lot less than the triggering of a fundamental, sustainable change itself.

In our client engagements, it's not uncommon for partners to request a detailed hourly rate breakdown during the scoping phase. Typically, this stems from internal financial protocols necessitating such granularity. However, this request often signals a starting point where transactional value and limited trust are prioritized. Understanding and navigating this dynamic is critical for fostering a successful collaboration.

The start of a new year is always an opportunity to start fresh, especially in how we approach our work. Here are three ways you can apply a beginner's mind to shake up your nonprofit's work and drive meaningful change. So before the new year slips away and our calendars fill up, let’s set an intention to embrace a Beginner’s mindset to unlock greater innovation, impact, and opportunities.

Volunteer Time Off (VTO) is gaining momentum in the corporate world for its potential to be a social impact multiplier. Did you know that 60% of companies offer employees paid time off to volunteer? As you consider your giving options this Giving Tuesday, I urge you to consider VTO, a simple initiative that holds great potential for creating a long-lasting ripple effect in your community. VTO has the power to create lasting change and shape the future of corporate philanthropy.

Gartner states in their Top Strategic Technology Trends 2024 Report that “By 2026, 30% of new apps will use AI to drive personalized adaptive user interfaces, up from under 5% today.” With the latest advancements in data science, machine learning, and application development, you can leverage cutting-edge models, deploy them into production, and provide value to your end-users faster and easier than ever. These intelligent applications will take off your plate some of your most time-consuming workloads. Let's take a look to see what's possible for you!

Human capital is arguably an organization’s most precious asset, therefore reaching an healthy equilibrium about the challenging topic of returning to the office is key. Reaching a compromise between companies and their employees suggests hybrid work arrangements built upon open communication, flexibility, and a focus on the needs and preferences of both parties. Here is how can you facilitate a successful compromise

Extreme heat is becoming a rallying issue for workers around the globe. The workers most at risk are often those with the least leverage to protest and disproportionately workers of color or undocumented immigrants. Businesses and organizations must prioritize the wellbeing of their employees in the short term and make efforts to ease the global heat crisis in the long-term in order to be sustainable.

As businesses navigate an ever-changing landscape, sustainability is an imperative in the design for long-term success, public perception, talent attraction, and societal well-being. By integrating data-driven insights into their operations, businesses can not only identify areas for improvement but also create a powerful synergy between sustainability and data. In this blog post, we will explore how a data-driven approach can foster sustainable change within businesses, resulting in positive impacts on the environment and the bottom line.

Being a customer-first organization starts with being data-first. In the world of impact-based organizations, a key problem is developing strategies to maximize donor engagement. As you know, donors come from different backgrounds, locations, and demographics with varying giving and communication preferences. So why do we treat them all the same?

On June 30, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) struck down Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan of up to $400 Billion dollars, denying millions of Americans the chance to get up to $20,000 of their debt erased.

As federal student loan payments are coming due in September for the first time since the pandemic began, many economists fear that this decision could push the economy to a recession.

Nonprofits and for-profit businesses may only have a three-letter difference, but they operate under two distinct models. To foster long-term social change, nonprofits must start adopting the characteristics of their for-profit counterparts. While there is an endless list of characteristics, in this article, we will specifically focus on the lack of investment in sustainable business practices and operations that many nonprofits encounter.

3 tips for good data analysis approach to any project. Data engineers play an integral role in the data lifecycle. Their main function is to help those around them better understand and evaluate data that is being considered for further analytical use. This includes fully understanding where data comes from, what it contains, and where it may be able to provide valuable insights. Answering these questions is the impetus for critical understanding of the data at hand, and the direction needed to derive value and insight from the data.

As new AI technologies emerge, there is a growing concern that they may exacerbate our existing disconnections and drive us further apart. The fear is that AI-powered algorithms will perpetuate filter bubbles, reinforcing our existing biases and narrowing our exposure to diverse perspectives. However, despite these concerns, we have an opportunity to shape the direction AI takes and harness its power for positive change.

Our perceptions of organizations, companies, and individuals very rarely have to do with actual data that can be quantified using the scientific method in the purest of terms. As Dan Ariely writes in his book Predictably Irrational, we have a tendency to dramatically overestimate the role of rational, calculated thinking, and dramatically underestimate the role of emotions, influences, and heuristics in shaping the ways in which we act, prioritize, think, and feel about the world and the people around us.