Check out our blog series “ It’s Just a Database” to keep the value of databases in perspective.) However, even the best software won’t analyze your data in all the ways you need (at least not without a hefty bill for all the custom reports you’ll need!). Many people believe the key to using data is fancy software. ( The Wisdom Cycle by Deborah Elizabeth Finn does a great job of illustrating the ways we can use technical and practical knowledge to transform data into wisdom that informs great decisions, and Idealware’s Data Sanity for Nonprofits expounds on those ideas.)

To do so requires data be transformed into knowledge, through analysis and reflection. If the data they are collecting are meaningful and trustworthy, they want to use it for decision-making and improvement efforts, not just funder reporting. Each post will illustrate the ways you can apply Excel to your key tasks and questions and will include links to step-by-step instructions to use each feature. Each of the upcoming posts will feature the Excel tools I use most often to help my program understand and use its data. Today, I will cover first steps in data analysis and my favorite Excel shortcuts. This blog series will be comprised of five posts.

In this series, she’ll share some of her best tips and tricks for getting the most out of Excel. Since we began working together, I’ve been so encouraged and impressed by how much Megan is able to do with so little when it comes to data analysis and visualization.

The IllumiLab is excited to bring you this five-part blog series from one of our clients, Megan Ondr-Cooper, the Manager of Analysis & Outcomes at CASA of St.

How to get data analysis on excel lab