Digital Scholarship Guide: Non-Profits
This guide links out to an array of tools. Some are open-source (i.e., publicly available and free); some cost money and are currently available to the Brandeis community. For any non-profit, budget constraints are a hugely limiting factor, and anyone interested in this field should pay particular attention to the array of open-source options available.
Essential Skills and Tools
Dissemination
- Digital dissemination platforms like StoryMaps are open-source, easy to manage, and can yield a professional and compelling website.
- Showcase your resources online with a custom website.
- Showcase the history of your non-profit with a digital timeline.
Collect Survey Data
- Design and share a survey; use the responses to build your community outreach program. There are a number of platforms, many of which can support collection, storage, and analysis of responses.
Spatial Analysis
- GIS (Geographic Information Systems) makes it possible to discover and display spatial relationships. Find datasets from the U.S. Census and foreign organizations to understand what people have access to what resources; explore human-landscape impacts, etc.
- Even if your non-profit doesn’t center on human-landscape relationships, you can still show its relationship to the space it is based in. Make your own map to highlight the geographic range your work serves.
Data Management and Visualizations
- Whether your non-profit interests hone into people or the environment, data management is critical for your success. Think about all of the lists you might collect – names, dates, places, etc. Imagine the array of collaborators who need access to this information, and the potential issues that could arise if your data is disorganized. Learn how to effectively store these in a spreadsheet and how you can format your entries to support future analyses.
- Coding can be hugely useful. R is a great option and can speed up the process of editing datasets, creating graphs and visualizations, as well as customizing GIS tools. Contact the Data Services team to find out which coding language is best for your needs, and find out about upcoming free workshops.
Digital Non-Profit Scholars and Staff at Brandeis
Are you a Brandeis staff/faculty member and would like to be listed? Contact Dr. Natalie Susmann.
Digital Non-Profit Training Resources
Coming Soon!
Digital Non Profit Publications
This Zotero library is regularly updated with publications discussing digital scholarship’s impact on Non Profit work.
Many thanks to Brandeis PhD student Cat Rosch for contributing to this page. This page was last updated on August 20, 2024. If you would like to contribute, please contact Dr. Natalie Susmann.