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Counting Bubbles
A sometimes insightful, sometimes sassy blog about nonprofits, data management, and building a better future. Opinions expressed are our own...and they are based on indisputable facts.


Picking Nonprofits Outcomes for Storytelling
Nonprofit Outcomes Must Help Tell Your Story It 's hard to pick good outcomes for nonprofits to track. Some outcomes seem great. But,...
Ryan Brooks
7 days ago4 min read
0 views
Nonprofit Data Collection Basics (2- Minute Guide)
Show your nonprofit matters: count services and successes. Who Cares? It feels daunting to show that your programs "work," and it's...
Ryan Brooks
Apr 22 min read
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5 Biggest Data Mistakes in Grant Writing and how to fix them
Get the numbers right. Your grant funding depends on it. Why Data Matters in Grant Writing Funders get too many proposals to fund them...
Ryan Brooks
Feb 202 min read
3 views
3 Simple Statistics for Nonprofits (2 Minute Guide)
Understanding mean, median, and mode is crucial for interpreting your nonprofit's data and making informed decisions. Who cares? Mean,...
Ryan Brooks
Feb 182 min read
3 views
Nonprofit Duplicated & Unduplicated Counts (2-Minute Guide)
Get your counts right to get funded Why You Care Duplicated and unduplicated counts offer valuable insights into an organization's reach...
Ryan Brooks
Feb 42 min read
7 views
How Nonprofits can Overcome Data Challenges
3 Common Nonprofit Data Challenges and How to Deal with Them Nonprofits face challenges when it comes to collecting and reporting data on...
Ryan Brooks
Nov 7, 20246 min read
9 views
Use Data to Write Winning Grant Proposals
How to Use Data to Create Strong Grant Proposals for your Nonprofit Most of us don’t love data for the sake of data. Nonprofits collect,...
Ryan Brooks
Oct 4, 20249 min read
9 views
How do Nonprofits Know When to Shut Down a Program
Sometimes nonprofits struggle to know whether they should continue a program or close it down. This post aims to help you figure it out.
Ryan Brooks
Jul 10, 20247 min read
56 views
How to Start Tracking Nonprofit Impact
3 Keys to Tracking Nonprofit Achievements for Beginners How will we show that our work matters? How can we demonstrate that we make our...
Ryan Brooks
Jun 17, 202410 min read
13 views
Data-Driven Development for Nonprofits
Use Data-Driven Fundraising to Stay Mission Focused Have you ever worked at a nonprofit that offers a program or service that just...
Ryan Brooks
Jun 5, 20244 min read
6 views
How to Create a Nonprofit Impact Report
Nonprofit annual reports are important, but impact reports focus attention on your work. The annual report is a classic document for...
Ryan Brooks
Apr 29, 20245 min read
204 views
What Data Should My Nonprofit Collect
Collect the Right Data to Show Your Nonprofit's Impact Nonprofits of all sizes collect data to tell their story and show they are making...
Ryan Brooks
Apr 17, 20247 min read
30 views
Ten Tips for Using Duplicated and Unduplicated Counts
Duplicated and Unduplicated Counts: Best Practices for Nonprofit Grant Writing Grant proposals and grant reports are part of life for...
Ryan Brooks
Apr 3, 20245 min read
91 views
Duplicated, Unduplicated, and Simple Total Counts for Nonprofits
What you need to know about duplicated counts, unduplicated counts, and simple total counts for nonprofit data reporting We explained the...
Ryan Brooks
Mar 18, 20244 min read
281 views
Your Nonprofit Needs a Two Year Strategic Plan
Strategic Planning for Nonprofits: Why Shorter is Better Ask a strategic planning expert or consultant how many years a strategic plan...
Ryan Brooks
Mar 4, 20245 min read
33 views
How to Foster a Data-Driven Culture at Your Nonprofit
Building a Data-Driven Culture in Your Organization: 4 Keys for Staff Engagement and Buy-In In many organizations, there comes a point...
Ryan Brooks
Feb 21, 20247 min read
12 views
Four Ways Nonprofits Can Collect Data without Surveys
Moving Beyond Surveys: Four Creative Data Collection Methods for Engaging Clients Working at a human services nonprofit, you are often...
Ryan Brooks
Feb 5, 20247 min read
43 views
Tips for Writing About Nonprofit Data
How to Effectively Communicate Nonprofit Data Most nonprofits need to turn their data into written information for supporters and...
Ryan Brooks
Oct 25, 20238 min read
27 views
What Data Should Nonprofits Collect
If you are new to a data-oriented role at a nonprofit or your nonprofit is “getting serious” about data for the first time, then the...
Ryan Brooks
Oct 5, 202310 min read
159 views
Simple Data Analysis for Nonprofits
Analyze Your Nonprofit Program Data to Understand your Impact Your social service nonprofit will collect lots of data about your...
Ryan Brooks
Sep 15, 202310 min read
91 views
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