About Nonprofit Knowlege Works

Organization Purpose

Nonprofit Knowledge Works strives to enhance the management capacity of the New Orleans area nonprofit sector to provide information–driven, systemic and effective solutions to community problems. We believe that evidence (data, published research, and community perspective) is an essential foundation for the development of effective social programs. To this end, Knowledge Works focuses on:

• Providing access to timely and accurate data
• Investigating the way that nonprofit organizations use information in planning
• Implementing and evaluating nonprofit activities, and
• Supporting improvements in information systems.

Our Approach

Both our systems redesign work and our information products require a good deal of research, expertise, experience and innovation because we are working in young disciplines without much codified knowledge.

Research

All our projects begin with an exhaustive review of the literature available in the field and in related fields. We strive to understand the underlying factors that lead to the issue to be addressed, research possible options for addressing the issue, and develop the strategy or strategies we want to test.

Experience and Expertise

We staff our projects with a team which includes professionals with a strong orientation toward systems thinking and extensive nonprofit experience. Our product development teams consist of experts in the fields of organizational management, financial management, information architecture, information design, usability engineering and instructional design.

Innovation

Because of the need for significant innovation, our product development and service delivery are resource–intensive. With this in mind, we look to:

• Build products and engage in initiatives that will allow us to carry over learnings from one project to the next;
• Build customized products in such a way that they can be re–purposed for other nonprofit initiatives with minimal effort;
• Leverage technology to extend limited human resources in ways that are efficient, flexible, and enduring; and
• Document and disseminate our learnings with local and national colleagues.

Background

Nonprofit Knowledge Works resulted from the merger of the Center for Nonprofit Resources and the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center in January 2005.

Center for Nonprofit Resources

The Center for Nonprofit Resources began in 1992 as a department of the United Way for the Greater New Orleans Area—formed to provide full–service management support to local nonprofits. In 1997 the Center for Nonprofit Resources became an independent 501(c)3 whose mission was to serve as the hub of services and support for nonprofit organizations in the Greater New Orleans area.

Greater New Orleans Community Data Center

The Greater New Orleans Community Data Center began in 1997 with a research grant from Baptist Community Ministries to Tulane University. In 1999, the project was transferred to the United Way who acted as the fiscal agent when the Data Center began working to expand the ability of the local nonprofit community to access and strategically use local information in decision–making and grant–writing.

Merging into Nonprofit Knowledge Works

The merger of the Center for Nonprofit Resources and the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center was critical first step in creating an integrated, research–based and data–driven approach to fostering the effectiveness of agencies and the systems within which they operate and in providing coordinated capacity–building supports. The merger also represented a more efficient use of intellectual and financial resources through the elimination of duplicate administrative and technical resources and the emergence of shared product development and publishing mechanisms. The gained efficiency is important in light of Nonprofit Knowledge Works’ ambitious agenda.