You know what you want out of your database. You can see it in your mind's eye, but the system keeps returning numbers that do not make sense. Read this edition of Data-ish before you throw your computer out the window.

This is for anyone, regardless of the systems you use, because the thinking behind designing a good report is system-agnostic.

AI will generate data visualizations faster. Whether faster means better depends on whether you know the story you want to tell before you open the tool.

AI will not save you time on evaluation if you do not know how to interrogate what it gives you. Without a human with a plan at the helm, AI could cost organizations more than it saves.

Navigating data alone is hard. This month, we are launching the Data-ish community, a space to go deeper than the newsletter.

Many groups invite diverse participants to respond to prompts that have already been framed by those with the most power in the room. When that happens, participation is real, but influence is limited.

Before tools, dashboards, or funding requests, teams need a shared picture of what matters. Call it whatever you want: a logic model, a log frame, or 'Bob'. What matters is the thinking and shared understanding.

It’s impact report season and the visuals you choose influence how readers interpret your results.

You can’t use AI without knowing—and trusting—the data you feed it.

We’re offering access to our Beyond the Data Black Box workshop - a hands-on session that helps you uncover, assess, and make better use of the data you already have.

You might not need more data—just better questions.

Most teams collect because they can, not because they should. Data is most useful when it's built around decisions, not dashboards.