Obtaining data from current donors are easy to access since a charity generally has that information available. Gathering statistics from potential donors is significantly harder, as a nonprofit doesn’t necessarily have that information at their fingertips. Data.World (pronounced “data dot world”), a free open-source website can benefit charities around the world by providing information in categories from science, politics, and finance.

In Use:
According to Mario Facusse, a Business Development Representative from Data.World, the website boasts the largest data community in the world with over 300K members. And with 150K data sets, chances are users will be able to find multiple data sets to help them solve their problems.

A nonprofit can use Data.World in a few different ways. They can simply use the website to obtain files or they can create projects and invite team members to join. A user can upload company-specific files or search from one of the numerous data sets available on the site. These projects allow a team to work with the same information and ask questions as they go. At the end of the project a team can chose to publish the findings publicly or keep their information private.

Data.World currently has four subscription plans to chose from. The free subscription allows for one user, and three projects/data sets. The standard package for Professional Teams includes up to five users and unlimited data sets and will cost an organization $100 per month.

Technology Used:
Data.World is cloud based and integrates with many programs that data analysts are already using. With a partnership with Tableau, users are able to visualize their findings in a way that can help them share their conclusions with stakeholders. Data.World integrates with numerous applications such as Excel, Python, and R programing; as well as Super-Connectors like Hubspot, Amazon S3, and Google Analytics.

Ease of Use:
Data scientists and analysts with a background in Python or R programing will find Data.World pretty straightforward. Those will little programing skills may find it difficult to get the most out of the data sets they are downloading. While many nonprofits do use Data.World, Facusse points out that many medical and scientific researchers utilize the website from a nonprofit standpoint.

Recap:
Data.World enables nonprofit organizations to obtain data sets that they can use to increase fundraising efforts or solve other problems that the charity faces. Data.World is on one hand a website that allows a business to download free data sets, but on the other, a data community that enables analysts and data enthusiasts to come together to solve ongoing issues.

Advantages:

• Not only can data sets be expensive to purchase, but many nonprofits don’t know where to begin to look for them. With Data.World all data sets are free and open-sourced.
• Currently one of the largest data communities in the world
• Over 150K data sets to choose from
• Integrates with both applications and Super-Connectors.
• Due to a partnership with Tableau, enables users to visualize data sets

Disadvantages:

• Users will get the most out of the site if they have experience in programing such as JavaScript, R, and Python
• While the website is technically free, a free subscription will only allow for 1 user and 3 data sets.

My Opinion:
Data.World is a great tool for nonprofits to utilize if they have a volunteer who understands programing languages. If no one in the company understandings these languages, comprehending a file is going to be tricky. A charity will also run into a problem if they want to download more than 3 data sets, as they will have to purchase a subscription package that could cost them up to $100 a month.

Because Data.World is free to register, I suggest a nonprofit explore the website to see if it’s a right fit for their organization