My name is Regis Whaley. I currently work at Three Square Food Bank and am a member of the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN) Southern Nevada Chapter as well as the Alliance for Nevada Nonprofits (ANN). Working for a nonprofit and interacting with other nonprofit colleagues has made me acutely aware of the data-related challenges of that nonprofits face. That's not to say that nonprofits are unique in facing these challenges, of course; I've seen them in any for-profit organization I've ever been a part of as well. But there are at least a couple unique challenges that nonprofits face:
Money. Money isn't a cure-all for data solutions, but it certainly makes data easier to use. Who wouldn't want to pay for artificial intelligence to decipher data and write basic reports? That type of money isn't sitting around for most nonprofits. But there are free services, like Google Docs and Microsoft Office (both of which cost $0 for nonprofits, just FYI). You might even have money for discounted software, like Tableau and ArcGIS. And in my experience, these no-cost/low-cost resources will do plenty to get your organization where it needs to be.
Skills. There are two good ways to get the skills you need to make use of your data. You hire someone who has the skills or you take the time to learn them. Hiring a dedicated staff member can be costly, especially if there isn't a clear plan for how data will be used in your organization. Learning skills isn't always an option, especially when nonprofit staff are already stretched thin with their major duties and "other duties as assigned."
I understand this all too well, and it's why I started SNH in the first place. Making use of data needs to be done Smarter, Not Harder.
No money? No problem. There are plenty of no-cost/low-cost options to manage your data effectively, and there's a good chance you have all the necessary tools already. I want to help you make use of those tools. I don't want to charge you an arm and a leg for it either. As someone who is invested in the nonprofit community, I want to see all of us doing well. I know the impact we have on our community, and I want to play my part in increasing that impact. I promise to provide affordable service that will be a bargain for your checkbook and an investment for your organization.
I have the skills, and I'd like to share them with you. Before I talk about my skill set, I want you to know that, to the extent possible, I want to reproduce my skills in your organization. And that's a weird business model, to take what people are willing to pay me money for and share all my work and knowledge openly with those who pay me, decreasing the need for my services in the future. But...that's what I want to do. I don't want to waste your donors' dollars. I don't want to waste your grant money. I want real results in our community. So when you get data solutions from me, you're going to get more than just some tool you can use. You're going to know how it works inside and out and get training on how to use and extend the tool. If you want training outside of that, I'll provide that, too.
So, what do I know? My primary area of expertise is in Microsoft Office, with a very strong emphasis on Excel as a data management, analysis, and visualization tool. I also create data solutions using other Microsoft products, including SharePoint, Power BI, PowerApps, and Flow. I have experience generating solutions using Google's platforms as well, including Sheets and Forms. Outside of those two brands, I'm also versed in SPSS (statistics software), QGIS (a popular freeware GIS program), and Tableau (a leading data visualization solution). Also, I'm currently completing my Master of Public Health (MPH) degree at UNLV, and I integrate my research background from my MPH education every chance I get. I have had the pleasure of sharing my research at a state conference for the Nevada Public Health Association as well a national conference for Share Our Strength, a national child hunger relief agency.