Storytelling with Data: Engage Stakeholders Using SAVI’s Newest Tool

March 24, 2015 Jim Dowling
Storytelling with Data: Engage Stakeholders Using SAVI’s Newest Tool
Great story telling can mean the difference between getting that grant or not.  It is an easy way to communicate with stakeholders to justify the need for a grant, demonstrate program impact, or share research findings.  The way you visualize and describe your data are an important part of telling your story.

I am not going to share pointers on how to tell a great story with data.  There are many other great blogs that do that, such as this one that appeared in the Harvard Business Review.

Instead, I am going to share a new tool that can help you explore your data and use it to tell a meaningful story to share with your stakeholders.

Introducing….SAVI Advanced!

A key feature of this tool is the ability to build and share stories after you visualize your data.

3 Examples of Data Stories Created with SAVI Advanced:

  1. Domestic Violence Network is using it to help identify neighborhoods to target special strategies to reduce domestic violence in Marion County. For example, it is piloting a new program with the Indiana Housing Agency to develop wrap-around services in a neighborhood to break down social barriers that lead to domestic violence. The data will help identify other potential target areas. Read this Data Story.domestic violence
  2. Goodwill’s Nurse Family Partnership was able to map its client data and zero in on areas with the greatest unmet need in order to target recruitment efforts. Read this Data Story.
    nfp
  3. A Simple story – SAVI Advanced can answer simple questions, such as “how is unemployment changing?” To turn this into your story, you could describe how it impacts your service delivery or creates a need for your service.  Check out this interactive visualization.
    unemployment

Engaging Stakeholders with Your Story:

The simple act of sharing data can spark meaningful conversation with stakeholders.  It underscores your message and gives them something to react to.

In the two stories above, sharing the data alone led to long conversations about why, how, and where.  Both nonprofits began thinking about ways to communicate their message to board members, the public, and other stakeholders.

The conversation becomes so rich when you have data in front of you.

This is an Advanced Tool, but…

At first glance, SAVI Advanced can seem overwhelming, but having someone walk you through it can help.

  • Catch one of our upcoming webinars – we have several scheduled in 2015.
  • In both the DVN and NFP stories above, our team worked with one or more staff members to build the story around their needs. Contact us if you need help.  savi@iupui.edu

SAVI Advanced was made possible thanks to funding from the Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation to support public health uses of SAVI.

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