Bloomberg launches initiative to help charities capture data for greater social impact
Six of them will receive S$360,000 in funding to solve data challenges
[SINGAPORE] Bloomberg on Tuesday (Apr 22) launched the Data for Good Exchange (D4GX) programme to help Singapore-registered charities best apply their datasets to drive greater social impact. Selected charities will receive funding and mentorship to enhance their data capabilities through this programme.
From Tuesday, interested charities can apply for the programme. Up to 60 of them will be selected for the D4GX 2025 cohort, which will participate in an inaugural summit in June. At the summit, these charities can gain insights from industry players and government agencies, as well as participate in workshops to build data skills.
Vandna Ramchandani, regional head of corporate philanthropy Asia-Pacific at Bloomberg, emphasised that the programme is not looking for charities already proficient in data strategy. “We’re looking for organisations that are motivated to learn and improve.”
She said charities can learn a “wide variety” of skills so that they can more effectively use data in operations and strategy.
“The workshops will be about basic understanding of data; how to collect data, finding meaningful insights, data visualisation, and using data to tell a compelling story,” she added, citing some examples.
Following the summit, the cohort can apply for the D4GX grant and accelerator programme. Ramchandani said charities will be asked about the data challenges they are facing, as well as how they have implemented change in their organisation. “We see their ability and desire to adapt and grow, and we want them to focus on a particular problem.”
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At the beginning of August, six charities from the cohort will be chosen to join the three-month grant and accelerator programme, which is supported by philanthropic organisation The Majurity Trust and non-profit talenTtrust.
Each charity will receive S$60,000 in funding to implement data-driven solutions, and receive mentoring from data and technology experts from Bloomberg’s network.
She said Bloomberg will provide “tailored” mentorship and meet charities at their level of data utilisation – whether it is in its early stages or more established.
“We feel that we can bring the data expertise that Bloomberg has, and continue to support the ever-growing charity support structure.”
Filling a data gap
The D4GX programme started in New York in 2014, and has also expanded to India. Its introduction in Singapore is “timely” and on a “larger scale”, said Ramchandani, not just because of SG60 this year, but also because the social sector is growing and the city-state is positioning itself as a “philanthropic hub”.
Lisa Gainer, chief executive of talenTtrust, added: “This initiative is much needed in the sector as most non-profits have limited resources and are unable to hire a dedicated headcount for data.”
Data can be used to maximise social impact, as charities can better communicate with their donors. It can also help them identify gaps in their operations, and track and monitor their progress in meeting the needs of communities on the ground.
Martin Tan, chief executive of The Majurity Trust, said: “Ultimately, data is needed for us to make better and more informed decisions. As Singapore grows as a society, we are getting more sophisticated in the way we think about impact, largely because more donors are coming in.”
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