Our own impact

Since Data Orchard was set up in 2013 we’ve worked on over 250 projects supporting almost 150 organisations to get better with data. We’ve reached thousands more through our research, online tools and resources, and events to promote the importance and value of data for good.

Each year we report on our social and community benefit to our regulators at the UK Government’s Companies House. Read our 2022-23 social and community benefit report.

You can also read our social and environmental impact report for 2022-23.

In September 2023 we celebrated a decade of data for good.

How we measure our impact

We measure our impact in multiple ways using external research, and our own surveys and client feedback.

1. We gather external research and conduct our own into the needs and problems our sector faces in relation to data.

Our Data maturity self assessment tool is the first of its kind, and allows nonprofits to assess how data savvy they are. It is also helping us build a valuable anonymised picture of data maturity in the nonprofit sector.

Read our latest State of the Sector report into data maturity in the nonprofit sector, and the latest impact evaluation of the data maturity tool itself.

2. We collect feedback from clients on completion of projects to understand how they benefited from our work, how they intend to use it, and how we can improve.

The key ways clients tell us our research and analysis has been of benefit to them is in: informing future planning and strategy, improving products and services, and supporting future funding applications. Other aspects include informing policies, evidencing need and communicating impact.

3. For longer term strategic projects we measure organisational data maturity before and after our interventions.

You can read a case study here about our work with the Cart Shed, a client we first worked with in 2018. We’ve helped them to build their data capabilities and develop their theory of change, and have been measuring the change in their data maturity since then.

4. For our training courses and events we collect feedback to evaluate outcomes for participants.

After attending our courses and events, feedback shows people feel:

  • inspired about the possibilities for using data in their organisation

  • motivated to improve with data in their organisation

  • aware of useful resources and good practice

  • connected to professional peers and support.

We also often conduct post project or post event retrospectives with clients and partners.

5. Other testimony