Data for Needs Statements

center for social creativity

Funding & Organizational Development Training (FODT)

Grant Writing: Data for Needs Statements

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Introduction

Click on the buttons below to understand the layout of this training, what will be covered, and a view of all trainings available.

Layout

Content

Trainings

Needs Statement Data Content

Overview

Quantitative Assessment

Qualitative Assessment

Overview

linking data to your needs statement

Your grant proposal needs statement helps to tell the story of your community to the grant reviewer. Through the use of data, you tell the story of the community's strengths, assets, needs, and a rationale for why your solutions is valuable.

social determinants of health (SDOH)

Health happens everywhere. And, it begins with our environment.

SDOH

USING DATA

practical applications

Policy Change

Program Planning

Grant Writing

Measuring Change

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Quantitative Assessment

using data to inform YOUR NEEDS STATEMENTS

Quantitative Assessment

Introduction to the purpose and use of quantitative assessment.

Do not forget to talk about your community's assets and strengths! We believe that asset-first reporting is using data to promote justice and equity.

Quantitative data can help tell the story of your community for your grant needs statement. Quantitative data is meant to show the gaps of resources, including historical and structural oppression. These data should balance environmental considerations, along with its impact on humans.

Quantitative Data Rationale

How does this help your need statement?

Objective measurement

Needs prioritization

Establish baseline

Inform decisions

Identification of trends

Resource allocation

Data Considerations

using data responsibly

data equity & Stewardship

Interpreting data in an inclusive context requires a thoughtful approach to ensure that insights are meaningful and actionable.

Use inclusive language.

Understand an equity framework.

Be aware of bias.

Disaggregate data.

Seek diverse perspectives.

Contextualize findings.

Communicate responsibly.

Engage stakeholders.

Evaluate impact.

Focus on equity gaps.

National Data Sources

measuring health & environmental measures

BLS

County Health Rankings

CDC Env.

CDC PLACES

HealthData

Dept. Commerce

US Census

Yale Env.

ACS

NCEI

Headwaters

International Data

measuring health & environmental measures

Organisation for Economic Co-operation & Development

United Nations Environment Statistics

World Bank Open Data

US Energy Information Administration

State Data

North Dakota

measuring health & environmental measures

Montana

South Dakota

Wyoming

Utah

Colorado

Quantitative Data Visualization: Example

Presenting in a visually engaging will capture the attention of your grant reviewer. Click on the picture to be taken to an example.

Quantitative Assessment: Additional Resources

Data tips

Video on how to present data effectively.

data equity

The importance of data equity for inclusion.

data visualization

Do's and Don'ts

Meeting tips

Ideas for a great community meeting.

Qualitative Assessment

using community voice to inform your NEEDS STATEMENT

Qualitative Assessment

Introduction to the purpose and use of qualitative assessment.

Qualitative data are are just as important, if not more, than the quantitative data sets. Telling the story through community member validation and lived experience allows the reader to truly identify with your project's overall goals and vision.

Remember to lead with your community's strengths! An asset-first approach will show that you can accomplish your goals while leaning on the community's strengths.

Depth of Understanding

Contextual Factors

Community Engagement

Provides rich, detailed insights into the community's experiences, perspectives, and values, helping to understand the underlying reasons behind issues.

Uncover the social, cultural, and economic contexts that influence community needs, which quantitative data might overlook.

Fosters engagement and empowerment, ensuring their voices are heard and valued in the decision-making process.

Qualitative Assessment: Rationale

Nuanced Needs

Flexibility

Program Design Richness

Adapt as new themes and issues emerge during the assessment process, providing a more dynamic understanding of community needs.

Inform the development of more effective, culturally relevant interventions and services that resonate with community members.

Reveal specific needs and priorities that may not be evident through quantitative measures, allowing for a more tailored approach.

Qualitative Assessment Rationale

Surveying your community with responsibility and intentionality

Community Context

Diverse Perspectives

Clear Objectives

Question Clarity

Question Types

Response Formats

Confidentiality

Accessibility

Distribution

Ethics

Data Analysis

Survey Length

Qualitative Assessment: Demographics

Consideration when asking demographic questions.

Understanding Context

Asking participants for their demographic information can be beneficial to fully understand the nuances of your community's needs. Some of the benefits are detailed here. However, you must also take into consideration some ethics associated with asking demographic information.

Benchmarking

Identifying Dispartities

Engaging Stakeholders

Tailoring Programs

Survey Visualization

represent the data with excellence

Qualitative Data Visualization: Example

Presenting in a visually engaging will capture the attention of your grant reviewers. Click on the picture to be taken to an example.

Thank you for learning with us!

“Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.” ~ Chinese proverb

Objective Measurement: Quantitative data provides objective and measurable evidence of the needs, conditions, and resources within a community. This helps in minimizing biases that can arise from subjective assessments.

Grant Writing

Data can help play a crucial role in grant writing by providing evidence and justification necessary to secure funding. It will not only define the community need, but provide qualitative and quantitative rationales demonstrating an urgency. Your assessment can justify your program design, while also helping to establish relevant goals and objectives.

Informed Decision-Making: It supports evidence-based decision-making, ensuring that strategies and interventions are grounded in reliable data rather than assumptions or anecdotal evidence.

Social Determinants of Health (SDOH)

Needs assessments should evaluate all factors that influence a person's wellbeing. SDOH are the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age that significantly influence health outcomes. The determinants are interconnected, meaning that marginalization in one area will impact other areas. Health happens everywhere, and the environment in which we work, live, and play will determine our overall health into the future. Use the buttons to see the categories of SDOH.

Baseline Establishment: It allows for the establishment of baseline metrics, enabling stakeholders to compare current conditions against future outcomes. This is essential for tracking progress and evaluating the effectiveness of interventions.

Overview

Content to be covered

This training will provide you with an understanding of how to collect, analyze and report on data for your grant needs statements. This section covers:

• Quantitative assessment
• Qualitative assessment

Identification of Trends: Analyzing quantitative data helps identify trends over time, such as changes in disease prevalence, service utilization, or demographic shifts. This information can guide long-term planning and resource allocation.

Policy Change

Data may be used for a variety of policy change initiatives. They may inform policymakers about community needs to guide legislation and resource allocation. They are used in urban planning to assess community needs related to housing, transportation, and public services to create sustainable urban environments.

Trainings Available

We are regularly adding to our curriculum. So, if you don't see one that you need, let your CRES know!

Organizational Development

• Strategic planning & project planning
• Organizational lifecycles
• Organizational structure
• Leadership development

Grants

• Prospecting
• Relationship building
• Grant writing
• Grant submission
• Grants management
• Funding strategies

Policy Influence

• The role of associations
• How to impact policy & building social capital
• Nonprofit policy rules and latitudes
• The social network analysis
• Statute versus legislation

Program Planning

Your wise use of data analysis will inform the development of your goals and project activities. They help leaders design programs and services that specifically address identified needs. This often leads to improved outcomes, leading to better health, education, and social outcomes by focusing on the most pressing issues.

Informed Decision-Making: It supports evidence-based decision-making, ensuring that strategies and interventions are grounded in reliable data rather than assumptions or anecdotal evidence.

Prioritization of Needs: Quantitative data helps prioritize needs by providing evidence on the severity and urgency of various SDOH issues. This allows decision-makers to focus resources where they are most needed.

How to use this training

Method of learning. The training may be facilitated by your CRES and/or as a self-study tool. Navigation. Click on the links in the beginning of each section if you'd like a targeted understanding of a certain subject. Additional resources. At the end of each section, you'll find links to further learnings, if you want to go deeper. For each topic. Each topic contains definitions, practical applications, the pros and cons, and additional resources.

Measuring Change

Using data over time, or longitudinally, you can start to measure the change in outcomes of your population. This is strong evidence to show that your interventions are working on the most pressing needs of the community. Longitudinal data provides a mechanism to move from a charity mindset to social justice, where systemic oppressions are addressed.