KPMG helps organizations transform their operating models with data and better fulfill their missions.
Any organization that wants to maximize performance must harness the power of information. Nonprofit organizations are no different, but whether measured in time, money or expertise, limited resources can impede the most earnest efforts to turn data into action. “Data collection and management is a perennial stumbling block,” says Bob Parr, chief data officer, U.S. advisory practice with the professional services firm KPMG LLP (KPMG).1 “The data has gaps and holes and is often cobbled together from multiple sources.”
That paradigm, however, is not set in stone.
To help elevate the work of its dedicated employees and volunteers, Denver-based Mile High United Way (MHUW) has made data a priority. “We’ve put a stake in the ground to make sure we’re able to collect data that helps tell us where we can be most effective,” says Wade Treichler, MHUW’s chief operating officer.2
What the organization needed was a better path from collection to action. “We had a lot of data, but we didn’t have the expertise to manage our enormous data sets,” Treichler says. MHUW’s 211 Help Center provided a perfect opportunity to build that bridge.
This multilingual, confidential service connects individuals to critical resources, including food, shelter, child care, rental assistance and more, from a database of more than 7,000 health and human resources. MHUW has gathered tremendous amounts of data through the program—particularly as the COVID-19 pandemic spiked—but struggled to extract full value from it, limiting its ability to provide the best possible service to those in need.
Data can make scarce dollars and people resources go a lot further. It’s a shot of adrenaline to help people do their jobs better and benefit the community.
Joel O’Hair
Data Science and Analytics Leader, Deal and Advisory Strategy, KPMG LLP
“People calling us through 211 are doing so during some of the most troubling, darkest times,” Treichler says. “Providing a trusted source of help is incredibly important, and the only way to do that is if we have clean, solid information.”
The organization sought assistance from KPMG, through Data Citizens with Purpose®, a pro bono program that provides data-driven insights to help nonprofit organizations better serve their stakeholders.5
The collaboration quickly paid dividends. The team at KPMG helped MHUW align data sets to more effectively match the information received from people calling 211 for help—a single parent looking for food assistance, for example—with data on resources, where they’re located and what they provide. “Integrating the complexities of those two pieces helped us paint a better picture for where the emerging needs are in our community—and where we lacked the resources to meet those needs,” Treichler says.
Through a dashboard provided by KPMG, MHUW’s 211 team used analytical tools against incoming data to uncover critical trends and patterns that led to new protocols for call center representatives. Questions were revamped to more proactively assess the totality of a caller’s situation. Based on data correlating risk factors, callers requesting rent or work assistance, for example, are now also asked about food assistance with the goal of providing more comprehensive care and reducing the need for repeat calls.
KPMG used analysis of requester ZIP codes and demographics to build a portfolio of maps broken down by key categories, so MHUW’s 211 team can see exactly where callers are requesting services specifically related to food as well as the location of the nearest service centers. Going forward, these capabilities will help MHUW see any gaps so it can work to reallocate services more appropriately, or stand up services where they are needed.
By sharing data with community partners, including nonprofits serving Denver’s immigrant community, governments and school boards, MHUW is creating a ripple effect that amplifies the value of its data. Those organizations can improve their services, while local government and school boards receive valuable demographic information to better identify and serve at-risk individuals and families.
“The tools and insights we’ve gained not only help us understand how to work more effectively, but also help the community understand what’s happening,” Treichler says.
The story of MHUW and its 211 program demonstrates that data isn’t a luxury, but a potential force multiplier for nonprofits fighting to maximize every dollar they raise. “Data can make scarce dollars and people resources go a lot further,” says Joel O’Hair, data science and analytics leader, deal advisory and strategy at KPMG.6 “It’s a shot of adrenaline to help people do their jobs better and benefit the community.”
Organizations that embrace data-driven strategies can work smarter and be more effective in achieving their visions. There are advisers out there that want to help. You don’t have to do it alone.
Wade Treichler
Chief Operating Officer, Mile High United Way
O’Hair says many data and analytics software providers offer free or heavily discounted licenses to help boost data analysis for nonprofits, and training can often happen online. Parr believes the advancement of tools like generative artificial intelligence will help nonprofits avoid having to heavily curate data to use it effectively.
KPMG, through Data Citizens with Purpose®, aims not only to deepen an organization’s insight, but also to leave it with a better understanding of how to view and utilize data. “We set them on a journey where they’re starting to do more data analysis themselves,” Parr says.
Treichler agrees nonprofits don’t need a big data team or a massive budget to perform meaningful data analysis. MHUW plans to take the lessons it’s learned from its collaboration with KPMG and apply them to a wide variety of projects. “Organizations that embrace data-driven strategies can work smarter and be more effective in achieving their visions,” he says. “There are advisers out there that want to help. You don’t have to do it alone.”
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