Hi there,
In this edition of the Our Community Innovation Lab newsletter, you’ll learn about tutorials that will help you get started with data science, and details of our next meetup. Our Director of Data Intelligence reflects on her experience speaking on the panel at the Bendigo Invention + Innovation Festival. Plus, one of our resident data scientists discusses the evolution of CLASSIEfier in a video taken at the YOW Data! Conference in Melbourne earlier this year.
Tutorial: Data science for NFPs
The What and Why of Data Science for Not-for-Profits
What's "data science" about? How can it multiply impact in the social sector?
This tutorial will dive into those questions and more. The interactive class will explore the rapidly evolving term "data science" (including how a modern data-savvy team operates), outline the different sources and uses of data in typical not-for-profit settings, and introduce two case studies.
Next session: North Melbourne, 10 October 2019, 11:00am – 12:30pm
Getting Started with Data Science
Once you've considered your organisation's data readiness in the first tutorial, you're ready for action!
Tutorial 2 tackles two fundamental considerations: how to ask good questions and how to gather high-quality data. It’s designed for social sector workers who are new to data science but who may have experience with or responsibility for data.
Next session: North Melbourne, 31 October 2019, 11:00am – 12:30pm
Melbourne Meetup: Data for Social Good
Excited about what data science can do to accelerate social change?
If you’re involved in data or machine learning, AI, analytics or visualisation and have a desire to strengthen our society, come along to one of our monthly Data for Social Good Meetups, held at Our Community House. Come with something to share, or simply pitch in to the chat and get to know like-minded folk.
Next meetup: Data science in fundraising
Effective fundraising is key to the survival of most not-for-profit organisations.
James Orton (founder of Distil Data) will speak about the use of data science in modern fundraising operations, and some of its broader ethical concerns. The latter half of the hour will be dedicated to a scenario activity to help us put principles into practice. Join us for what is sure to be a practical session.
Next meetup: North Melbourne, 15 October 2019, 9:30am – 10:30am
Book club: Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
In the last meetup, we deviated from the norm and hosted a book club. The event attracted a wide range of industry and social sector people, who came together to discuss Caroline Criado Perez’s “Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men”. In it, Perez explores the consequences of the underrepresentation of women in datasets, which leads to more bias.
Current Projects: What we've been up to
Last month, Director of Data Intelligence at Our Community, Sarah Barker, headed to Bendigo in central Victoria to take part in the Bendigo Invention + Innovation Festival.
Sarah spoke on two panels: 'Start small, think big: how to capture and utilise data', and 'Bias and ethics in a world of big data and artificial intelligence'. Visit the Innovation Lab for Sarah’s reflections on those panel sessions.
VIDEO: Using machine learning to paint a picture of social sector trends
The resident data scientist at Our Community’s Innovation Lab, Dr Paola Oliva-Altamirano, spoke at the YOW! Data conference in Melbourne earlier this year about the evolution of CLASSIEfier, a tool developed to classify grants without human intervention.
Dr Oliva-Altamirano explains how CLASSIEfier evolved naturally following the creation and implementation of CLASSIE – Australia’s first unified taxonomy to classify funding, using datasets from the grants management software SmartyGrants.
For more on CLASSIEfier and CLASSIE, visit the Innovation Lab page.
Spotlight reports from NFP Governance survey available now
The Institute of Community Directors is publishing a series of Spotlight reports into selected themes from the results of a 2019 study of governance in the not-for-profit sector. Reports 4 and 5 are out now. Check out the links below for more information.
SPOTLIGHT Report 5: Not-for-profit Finances
The ICDA Spotlight Report: Not-for-profit Finances reveals 54% of organisations are in good financial shape, whereas of the “battlers”, 31% are “just breaking even” and 15% are struggling. Download the report now.
SPOTLIGHT Report 4: Fraud & Cybercrime
According to the study, asset theft and cyber-hacking are the most common crimes suffered by not-for-profits, followed by credit card fraud and cash thefts. Download the report now.
Hot topics: What we've been reading/listening to
- Video: Al Jazeera’s five-part series exploring the impact of algorithms in our everyday lives
- Article: The Automation Charade
- Podcast: Getting rid of statistical significance?
- For discussion: Introducing the Hippocratic License: a modified MIT license that specifically prohibits the use of open source software to harm others
That’s all from us for now. Stayed tuned for the next edition. In the meantime, if you’d like to keep up to date with upcoming events, visit our events page.
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Our Community House
552 Victoria Street, North Melbourne, VIC 3051
The Our Community Innovation Lab receives support from Equity Trustees, with thanks to the Ella & Mitchell Brazier Fund, Charles Lamond Forrest Estate, James Raymond Hartley Charitable Trust, Charles Frederick William Taylor Estate and Truby & Florence Williams Charitable Trust.
