From Data to Action: Using Community Needs Data to Strengthen Nonprofit Programs and Funding

Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2026
Time: 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
Location: United Way Effingham Service Center, 711 Zitterour Drive, Rincon, GA 31326
Facilitator: Holly Lang, Public Goods Group

Audience:

• Program Managers & Directors
• Development / Grant Writers
• Strategy, Impact, or Learning staff
• Executive Directors shaping programs and funding strategy

Registration:
Pre-registration required due to space limitations.
United Way Learning Circle Workshop Registration Form

Description:
Data about community needs is abundant, but for many nonprofits, knowing where to find it, how to interpret it, and how to put it to work is its own challenge. This session is designed to close that gap. Participants will learn how to identify and use publicly available data to tell a more compelling story about the communities they serve, with practical guidance on where local, state, and federal information lives. The session will also explore how organizations can strengthen their own internal data, build it into an ongoing program and funding strategy, and use it to measure and communicate impact over time. Whether you’re a data newcomer or a seasoned analyst, you’ll leave with a clearer picture of how community data can sharpen your programs, deepen your partnerships, and strengthen your case to funders.

Learning Objectives:
Understand how to find and interpret publicly available community needs data relevant to their organization’s work, including where federal data has limitations and how state and local sources can fill gaps

Key Outputs:

Participants will:

• Learn how to use community data to identify and communicate shared outcomes across housing, health, and basic needs
• Explore strategies for strengthening internal data and using it to track and demonstrate program impact over time
• Apply a practical framework for translating community needs data into stronger program design, partnership narratives, funding proposals, and impact reporting

About Facilitator(s):
Holly Lang is a health economist and the founder of Public Goods Group, a consultancy that helps government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and private companies understand and respond to the needs of the communities they serve. With more than two decades of experience focused on low-income, uninsured, and vulnerable populations, she has authored more than 150 economic and community health needs assessments across diverse markets. Her partnership with Community Catalyst produced the nationally recognized model for conducting CHNAs through a health equity lens. A former federal policy advisor and consumer advocate, Lang brings a rare ability to make dense data legible and actionable for practitioners, policymakers, and communities. She holds a master’s in health economics, policy, and management from the London School of Economics, where she graduated with distinction and received the Brian Abel-Smith Prize for her work around poverty.