When it comes to nonprofit work, the word data often conjures images of dry reports or spreadsheets meant solely for funders.
At CCNY, Inc., data is much more than a reporting tool; it’s a catalyst for advocacy, a foundation for community trust, and a bridge to impactful change.
A few weeks ago, our team attended a training and wanted to highlight the undeniable power of data in advocacy. How do data and advocacy work together? And how can an organization prepare to advocate and interact with representatives using numbers?
We spoke with Emily Oaks, Lead Data Strategist, at CCNY to explain how we use data not just to understand community needs, but to empower legislative engagement, strengthen grant applications, and ensure that real voices are at the heart of every statistic.
What Comes First: Data or Advocacy?
“Too often, providers assume we know what a community needs—without ever looking at the data,” says Emily. That insight echoes a powerful quote from statistician Hans Rosling:
“The world cannot be understood without numbers, but it cannot be understood with numbers alone.”
At CCNY, data collection isn’t a passive act. It’s a proactive, intentional tool to:
- Identify needs with clarity, not assumptions
- Measure progress over time
- Amplify impact by pairing metrics with real human stories
Quality data, especially when collected with community input, ensures programs are both human-centered and effective.
The Art of the One-Pager
One of the most effective tools in our advocacy toolkit is the data-driven one-pager: concise, visually engaging “one-page” briefs designed for legislators and grant reviewers to reference. Behind each one-pager is a rigorous, community-centered process with far more data than can be shared in that singular moment.
How to make it work:
- We recommend that every one-pager be paired with a real person’s story. Advocacy data is most powerful when provided by those impacted by an issue. If this isn’t possible, the one-pager should at a minimum be reviewed by folks impacted for approval, clarity, and consistent messaging.
- In addition to an exact figure, we will also describe that number by saying “children screened by Help Me Grow would fill 70% of the new Bills stadium.” It’s memorable and local. We recommend researching your audience in advance to find a message that resonates.
- Use digestible (whole) numbers. This will enable your audience to better understand and visualize the data you present. Save the specifics for when they want a more in-depth discussion.
- Bright colors, bold key phrases, and intuitive charts are all tailored for a six-second scan. If someone can’t understand a graph within that time frame, then it likely needs to be reworked.
- Offer both a polished summary and a detailed report. Policymakers get the headlines; their team gets the backup data. It’s important to be ready to share based on decision makers’ interest levels.
“Data alone is forgettable. Stories alone lack scale. Put them together, and you’ve got advocacy with punch,” explains Emily.
Common Challenges
Working with data isn’t always smooth. A common challenge is when advocacy begins based on passion, and then data is introduced as an afterthought.
Sometimes the data doesn’t tell the story people want, but rather it tells the story that is. And that can mean having to rework advocacy strategies midstream. It’s recommended to have the data in your hands first and develop your advocacy platform and ask around those numbers.
Other barriers include:
- Low data literacy; Not all audiences can interpret complex data, which makes simplification and visualization crucial.
- Nonprofits are collecting data from communities and sometimes not sharing it back with them. Sharing these data back to the community from which it came is an important way to build trust and empowers community members to advocate on a personal level as well.
Since data is immensely powerful, returning data to community partners is a priority. Through initiatives like data walks, we help visualize key findings and invite partners to provide feedback and utilize the same data in their advocacy efforts. This collaborative approach amplifies reach and strengthens credibility.
Key Learnings
For nonprofits looking to strengthen their advocacy, we offer this advice:
- Engage the community early and often. Get feedback on what data to collect and how to present it.
- Pair every number with a name. A story humanizes the data and makes your pitch memorable.
- Invest in simplification. Use metaphors, visuals, and local references to make data accessible.
- Test and retest. Have someone unfamiliar with the topic review your one-pager—can they get the point in six seconds?
- Build a diverse team. Data analysts, evaluators, program experts, and storytellers all harness immense value.
Conclusion: Data is Your Strongest Voice
Advocacy that begins with rigorous data collection, incorporates authentic community voices, and presents findings with clarity and care is both ethical and effective.
Our experience shows that when data is treated as a shared tool for change rather than a task, it can become one of the most powerful drivers of impact and equity in the nonprofit space. We aim to empower other organizations to wield that same powerful tool in their advocacy efforts. Because together, we don’t just nudge the needle, we push it on critical issues.
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