Dear friends and colleagues,
As the year comes to a close, each of us reflects on what we value. We invite you to consider why The Data Center is valuable. Today, November 29th, is #GivingTuesday, a day dedicated to giving in over 70 countries, and you can make a difference by joining the growing ranks of individuals who contribute to the impact and expansion of The Data Center.
How we use data to make a difference.
The Data Center begins with a key ingredient – you. Since 1997, we have been an organization about the community for the community. Over and over, The Data Center heard from all sectors – nonprofit, neighborhood, university, government, and media – “I need data. I’m looking for data. Thanks for meeting with me, did you bring data?” And, we would reply, “Yes, we have data for you.”
Since 2014, The Data Center has made data accessible to our users with over 270,000 downloads of our content; 320,000 sessions on the website; and over 1 million pageviews. What started as 5,000 hits per month on our Neighborhood data pages multiplied to more than 80,000 hits in September 2006. Over the next ten years, we included analysis of New Orleans’ post-Katrina recovery culminating in The New Orleans Index at Ten Collection, which covered 10 different topic areas. It has been downloaded nearly 80,000 times since its publication in August 2015. Today, our research extends beyond our neighborhoods to include our region and economy, particularly within the growing water management sector.
Why does this matter?
Because New Orleans matters. The people, the businesses and entrepreneurial enterprises, the community and social service organizations of New Orleans, and the neighborhoods – they matter. Data is core to bringing about informed decisions toward building a more prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable region. Data proves that we matter.
The Data Center matters.
We would be grateful to count you among our supporters who make the work of The Data Center grow. Donate now in honor of #GivingTuesday and show what matters to you.
Bringing you the data you need to make informed decisions,
The Data Center team
Dabne Whitemore, Keisha Smith, Allison Plyer, Bernardo Espinosa, and Caroline Heffernan
