In college, I remember the dreaded statistics class everyone hoped to avoid. Little did I know how much I would appreciate stats once I entered the workplace. Whether you work for a for-profit or nonprofit like I do, you can turn data into stories that share more about your business and make an impression.
A single number showing how many people you serve can signal whether an organization is small or large. Breaking that number into percentages, however, often tells a more nuanced story. For example, during the last fiscal year, the Carnegie Center for Literacy and Learning served 20,000 people.
If you further learn that attendees lived in 48 Kentucky counties and 34 states (both true), you might assume the Carnegie Center is a statewide or national organization. But when you learn that 85% of attendees live in Fayette County, a different picture emerges of a local organization whose programs resonate far beyond its immediate community.
Comparing data year over year, especially across several years, can also reveal trends. Overall totals and averages are particularly useful here. Looking at the Carnegie Center’s registrations over the past decade, for example, shows that our reach increased dramatically once our virtual learning programs were expanded — and that was in 2020, during the pandemic. Another story.
Data is also effective in illustrating successes. You may see higher sales for certain products, more appointments booked for specific services, or another measure of success. For our K–12 tutoring program, we compare pre- and post-assessments to determine success, and on average, children gain 1.5 years of reading skills after one year in our program. This figure shows that children who were falling behind grade level are making large gains to catch up and keep up with their peers through our program.
Pause and think about what you’ve learned about the Carnegie Center. I bet you’ll remember the stories more than the stats I mentioned. What stories might your data tell?
Jennifer Mattox is the Executive Director of the Carnegie Center for Literacy & Learning and a professional writer. The Carnegie Center, 251 W. Second St., is a nonprofit educational center offering seasonal writing, publishing, and language classes, among other community programming. For more information, visit CarnegieCenterLex.org.