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The Vancouver Data for Good Chapter

Data For Good is a collective of data scientists, programmers, engineers, and data enthusiasts, aimed at using their skills and talents for good—to help make communities better through data and empower change makers to realize their goals for a better society. We do this by helping other not-for-profit and non-governmental organizations harness the latent potential within their data and unlock insights enabling them to make informed decisions in service of their respective mandates and missions. 

 

Who we are

The team in Vancouver is led by a slate of volunteers committed to making an impact through data on the west coast. We are a community of data professionals who provide pro bono data analytics services to registered charities, non-governmental  and not-for-profit organizations. Our aim is to unlock the hidden insights within your data assets that can support your strategic planning activities and improve operational efficiency.

How we can help

Many non-profit organizations collect data from a variety of sources during the normal course of operations, including details on funding, campaigns, resource allocation, and the clients they serve. Over time such systems accrue vast amounts of data that can support the organization’s strategic decision making.

In-house data can be combined with external data from open sources such as a census, and economic data from government repositories like Statistics Canada. On past engagements, clients have been interested in, for example:

  • understanding how to better target their donor base;
  • analyzing their volunteers and where best to engage them; and
  • optimizing the locations of food banks.

The output of our analysis is made up primarily of different types of visualizations. We use several types of tools ranging from Excel and Tableau for creating charts and dashboards, to more sophisticated statistical software packages like R and Python for regression and time series analysis.

 

Data for Good can assist in a variety of ways depending on your needs. The engagement begins with a consultation with the Data Ambassador (the contact for the project) in order to assess how we can best add value and the feasibility of the engagement.

 

It is worth noting that you do not need to have any specific business questions in mind at the time of the engagement. Data for Good is often brought in for an undirected general exploration of trends and other interesting correlations that exist within the data. Usually this will then guide further analysis by prompting interest in drilling down deeper into specific subjects. Regular checkpoints with the client ensure that the “wheat” remains separated from the “chaff”.

How we can help

Many non-profit organizations collect data from a variety of sources during the normal course of operations, including details on funding, campaigns, resource allocation, and the clients they serve. Over time such systems accrue vast amounts of data that can support the organization’s strategic decision making.

In-house data can be combined with external data from open sources such as a census, and economic data from government repositories like Statistics Canada. On past engagements, clients have been interested in, for example:

  • understanding how to better target their donor base;
  • analyzing their volunteers and where best to engage them; and
  • optimizing the locations of food banks.

The output of our analysis is made up primarily of different types of visualizations. We use several types of tools ranging from Excel and Tableau for creating charts and dashboards, to more sophisticated statistical software packages like R and Python for regression and time series analysis.

 

Data for Good can assist in a variety of ways depending on your needs. The engagement begins with a consultation with the Data Ambassador (the contact for the project) in order to assess how we can best add value and the feasibility of the engagement.

 

It is worth noting that you do not need to have any specific business questions in mind at the time of the engagement. Data for Good is often brought in for an undirected general exploration of trends and other interesting correlations that exist within the data. Usually this will then guide further analysis by prompting interest in drilling down deeper into specific subjects. Regular checkpoints with the client ensure that the “wheat” remains separated from the “chaff”.

Community

Community is at the heart of Data for Good, whether through in the people who create and manage not-for-profit and non-governmental organizations, in supporting the people that such organizations serve, or in our own team who simply want to do some good. Data for Good Vancouver is happy to share the knowledge throughout the community and host speaking events to discuss the value of data.

Data Work

You don’t need degrees or certifications to start working with data! With some patience and open-mindedness, anyone can pick up the tools to start collecting and dissecting the multitudes of different data that are so essential to day-to-day operations. For organizations that may be overwhelmed with the amount of data to sift through and don’t know where to start, Data for Good is here.

Chapter Leads

Peter Kim

Team Lead

Peter Kim, APR, is the co-founder of the Vancouver chapter of Data for Good. He is a former data/broadcast journalist who has worked in Vancouver and Toronto with Global News, Citytv, and CKNW. He currently works in communications in the science and biotech field helping the world’s leading scientists tell their stories. 

Gordon Hamilton

Team Lead

Data quality evangelist. Senior DQ Specialist designing Data Quality Strategy at a large gaming company. Previous stints as Data Warehouse designer, Data Migration analyst, Business and Data analyst. Instructor of Data Quality Improvement at BCIT

Maxwell Douglas

Team Lead

Day job in research as a computational biologist. Major focus is the intersection of software, analytics, and biologic/medical data. Love talking shop about the how, when, and why of deriving insights from data.

Peng Wang

Team Lead

Consultant and architect on enterprise data and applications for more than a decade. Designated CPA, CMA. Data Science enthusiast. Entrepreneur at heart. Always looking for better ways to understand data and help organizations make data-based decisions.

Karen Meohas

Team Lead

Karen Meohas is an experienced project manager, obsessed with data governance and privacy compliance. She spent the last years leading data protection programs in different industries. Karen is currently the Information Assurance Manager at xMatters and an independent Privacy Auditor at her very own MasterKey Consulting.

JEREMY FAN

Team Lead

Jeremy Fan is currently a graduate student in the Bioinformatics program at UBC. He previously worked on developing pipelines for the automated analysis of metagenomic sequencing data. He joined Data for Good in 2020, where he helped develop a dashboard in a collaborative project with the Calgary Cultural Mosaic Foundation. He is passionate about helping non-profits achieve their goals through data-driven decisions.

FRASER UITDENBOSCH

Team Lead

Fraser has over 20 years experience working with some of Canada’s largest credit unions and community-based, values-driven organizations using research, business intelligence and data science to support the achievement of social, environmental, and financial goals. Currently Fraser is a Senior Analytics Consultant at Acumen Analytics and is passionate about helping his clients use data driven insights to help all levels of an organisation make better strategic, operational and tactical decisions.
Are you a Not-For-Profit or an Non-Governmental Organization with a need for help with a data project?

We are always on the lookout for a new challenge. Drop us a note to see if we can help.

Upcoming Data for Good Events in Vancouver

Want to participate in a Data for Good event and hone your data gathering skills? Stay up to date with upcoming events and register to join!

Meetup: Data Stuff

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Some of Our Work in Vancouver

A sample of some of the organizations we’ve helped in the past.

Retail Action Network

UNICEF CANADA

Findings for Overdose Prevention Society

Overdose Prevention Society

Terry Fox Foundation

Click the button below to get started on your journey as a Data For Good volunteer!

Want to learn more? Click here to see our case studies.

Want to be part of the fun? You don’t need to be a data scientist or a PHD, there’s lots of ways that you can get involved with Data for Good.

Interested in Volunteering to Help
One of these Organizations?

We’ve worked with a cross section of not for profits and non-governmental organizations that have come in all shapes and sizes.

Retail Action Network

Terry Fox Foundation

Unicef Canada

Our Community People

KODY ROGERS
Community Lead

ARNAV JATUKARAN
Data Viz Lead

HEIDI ABRAMYK
Communications Lead

Stay Connected with Data For Good!

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Our Community Speaks

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John Deo, CEO

Condimentum non leo ac, consectetur luctus ex Sed nunc purus, aenean porta eros sed risus rutrum efficitur. Faucibus quis sapien in, gravida condimentum ante. Aenean porta eros sed risus rutrum efficitur. Faucibus quis sapien in, gravida condimentum ante.

John Deo, CEO

Condimentum non leo ac, consectetur luctus ex Sed nunc purus, aenean porta eros sed risus rutrum efficitur. Faucibus quis sapien in, gravida condimentum ante. Aenean porta eros sed risus rutrum efficitur. Faucibus quis sapien in, gravida condimentum ante.

John Deo, CEO

Are you a Not-For-Profit or a
Non-Governmental Organization with a need for
help with a data project?

We are always on the lookout for a new challenge.

Drop us a note here to see if we can help.

Forms

Want to be part of the fun? You don’t need to be a data scientist or a PHD, there’s lots of ways that you can get involved with Data for Good.

Get Involved with Data for Good