Services

How Can We Help Your Organization?

At Datastrategies4Change (DS4C), we combine data-driven expertise with a deep understanding of strategy in the nonprofit context. Together with you, we develop tailor-made solutions to help you amplify your impact.

Highlights:

Tailored to You:

  • Custom Data Visualization
    Whether interactive dashboards or animated time series, we transform your complex data into clear, compelling visuals so your ideas are visible at a glance.
  • KPIs & Metrics
    Which indicators truly drive your work forward? We identify the right metrics with you (as we have for Beyond Fossil Fuels and the European Climate Foundation) and implement them into easy-to-understand reports.
  • Maps & Geospatial Analysis
    Visualize regional activities or project influence with custom maps. From heatmaps to geobased impact analyses—we’re here to guide you.
  • Time-Series Analysis
    Understand trends, identify seasonal effects, and forecast developments based on your historical data.

Talk to Us! Together we’ll determine which data metrics strengthen your strategy and how to apply them effectively.

Fundraising and Activist Management: UNISAN

Universal Supporter Analytics (UNISAN) is our software package for data-driven fundraising and activist management.

Core Concept: There are countless fundraising databases out there. UNISAN isn’t tied to any single system; it’s built on its own universal data model, specifically designed for analysis. You only need to build one interface to your fundraising database, and then you can use all our analytics tools. (So far, we’ve connected to CiviCRM, OpenMOVE, and Mailjet.)

This means the analytics tools we develop for one NGO can be easily and cost-effectively reused by others.

Our metrics and visualizations draw on over 20 years of experience from Oliver in NGO management and fundraising: “As an executive director and CFO, I often didn’t get the data I needed. My experience with the best metrics and their visualization is reflected here, and I continue to use code I wrote while working at Wikimedia.” 1

“One codebase for many systems—built on 20 years of experience with Attac, WeMove Europe, Investigate Europe, and Wikimedia Deutschland.”

What UNISAN Offers You:

  • Dashboards
    All your key numbers at a glance: from donation trends to engagement rates.
  • Mailing Analytics
    Open, click, and conversion analyses for your email campaigns.
  • Detailed Annual Reports
    Automated reports that impress staff and funders and help clarify priorities.
  • Machine Learning
    Segmentation and churn forecasting with state-of-the-art, transparent, and privacy-friendly algorithms.

Examples of Metrics

Newsletter

Most newsletter tools show current subscriber counts, but not how they’ve changed over time. We calculate how many subscribers you had a year ago and how many have been added or lost (gross!)—because those churn rates are critical to your strategy. Another essential metric is active subscribers: those who have clicked a link at least once in a defined period (e.g., the past six months). This metric requires tracking data collection; we help you implement it in a privacy-compliant way.

Members and Sustaining Donors

Using your organization’s historical data, we can project average revenue over five or ten years based on your supporters’ churn rate. This long-term perspective helps secure strategic budgeting and resource planning.

Technology

As all our analyses UNISAN is built on modern, open-source software:

  • Analysis Stack: Python, R, and DuckDB for fast, scalable data processing.
  • Reporting Tools: Plotly for interactive visualizations; Quarto and R Markdown for reproducible reports.
  • Output Formats: HTML dashboards with embedded JavaScript for zoomable graphics, PDF, and editable Word or LibreOffice documents.

Our References

ExampleTrees4Teuto

We created a sample NGO, Trees4Teuto, focuses on tree planting in the Teutoburg Forest. Using fictional data, we showcase how data-driven tools can support fundraising and reporting:

  • Demo Dashboard: Tracks donation income (and later tree planting numbers) over time.
  • Mailing Visuals: Illustrates the outcomes of direct mail campaigns.
  • Mailing Metrics: Provides key figures for all mailings — searchable, and downloadable in Excel or CSV format.
  • Annual Report: Demonstrates automatically generated charts and summaries for funders.

Our concept is to recalculate dashboards like this every night, ensuring quick access and always up-to-date insights, so you team can access accurate, real-time information with a simple click and no waiting time.

Data Protection & Security

  • Secure Storage: Your data is stored exclusively on Linux computers with fully encrypted disks located in our office. Weekly security updates ensure current protection and data integrity.
  • No Cloud Transfers: We do not transfer your data to cloud services or external servers without your explicit consent.
  • Data Minimization & Pseudonymization: We adhere to pseudonymization principles: personal details such as last names, addresses, or bank account numbers are not loaded unless explicitly agreed.
  • Regular Backups & Maintenance: In addition to security updates, we perform daily backups and continuous monitoring. Scheduled standby times allow rapid response to any incident.

Get Started Today: Let’s optimize your fundraising workflow together and future-proof your activist platform. Contact us for a free consultation or schedule a video meeting.

Footnotes

  1. Special thanks to Wikimedia Deutschland!↩︎