Vermont Nonprofits Take Up Responsible Digital Data Practices

May 25, 2016

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Lucy Bernholz is serious about data rights and responsibilities. Digital Civil Society Chief at Stanford’s Center on Philanthropy, she travelled to Vermont mid-May to meet with 100 nonprofit leaders across Vermont (Burlington, Montpelier and Brattleboro). The arts, community development, libraries, coders, human services folks wanted to learn how to better handle sensitive data, figure out the pros and cons of Google for Nonprofits, and improve their archival management.

CCTV and Common Good Vermont thank the Vermont Community Foundation, A.D. Henderson Foundation, Fairpoint, Channel 17/ Town Meeting TV, Lucy Bernholz, and Stanford’s Digital Civil Society Lab for this well-recieved workshop series to help the social sector manage and govern its data. Common Good Vermont will continue to post material on this subject. (Send us what you’ve got!)

LISTEN >> Why Vermont’s Nonprofits Should Be Thinking About Digital Security, VPR/ Mitch Wertleib

Lucy Bernholz is serious about data rights and responsibilities. Digital Civil Society Chief at Stanford’s Center on Philanthropy, she travelled to Vermont mid-May to meet with 100 nonprofit leaders across Vermont (Burlington, Montpelier and Brattleboro). The arts, community development, libraries, coders, human services folks wanted to learn how to better handle sensitive data, figure out the pros and cons of Google for Nonprofits, and improve their archival management.

Lucy wants nonprofits to be forward looking organizations, “get in front” and be smart and informed so we can use digital data to achieve our missions (and worry less about it).  To this end, we have to fundamentally understand the nature of the digital data resources. Existing policies on data collection are based in physical ownership of content and information. But in the digital world, there are multiple copies of our data, that may exist on our won computers and in the “cloud”, mostly owned by commercial interests.

Bernholz suggests the fundamentals of responsible digital data policies and practices should be based on the civil society framework. Here are four principles to consider:

1. OPT IN CULTURE: Remember its a voluntary relationship: As nonprofits we are different from other sectors. We are voluntary sector. When someone comes to us and we are going to take this information from them, we should start with their consent. We want to create an opt in culture. We have forgotten what it is like to be asked to participate. We have given up on the idea that we have control. (i.e., Have you read your Terms of Service agreements lately?)  

2. Don’t Collect what You Can’t Protect: People trust you with their data, treat them with respect. Best approach to protection is to collect the “minimum viable” amount of data.  

3. Public Benefit: You will be more effective if you share what you learn. If you can be open your data collection from the outset, you empower the data provider and the organization. Build your consent and privacy practices accordingly. It is more likely that you will increase participation if you are open about your uses.

4. Civil society is about pluralism – Software, organizational and legal codes of digital civil society build form diverse inputs will be more resilient and democratic. This speaks to greater issues of diversity within the social sector. We want our digital underpinnings to be designed by people as diverse as the population we want to serve. 

DIGITALIMPACT.IO TESTDRIVE

Online, dynamic, collective exchange of policies and procedures for sharing and using digital data. Not everything needs a policy, but it could use practices. Check out the “check list” for sharing and using digital data. (Guide to Proposal Development) or if you are proposing a new app (Proposal Review Guidelines). TEST DRIVE.

NEXT STEPS (to WORK) 

Where are you at? Work with your colleagues to ask these questions:

    • Assess the Data You Collect Today
    • Who Has It?
    • Where Is it?
    • What Questions Should I Ask About It? Re: 4 Data Fundamentals.
    • Find examples at DigitalImpact.io/ Post Examples

Resources