4 Ways Data is Being Used for Good

At this point, most of the world has seen data used for good. From fighting Ebola to combating wildfires, Big Data has gone philanthropic. The goals for these “data for good” projects can be lofty, like curing cancer, or relatively localized, like recognizing crime hotspots in a neighborhood. No matter the dataset, though, all of the charitable data projects share two common features: a central problem or question, and a necessity to cull more than trends from the data. That’s right, analytics for humanistic purposes require insights.

1. Fighting Wildfires in CA

California fire crews are now fighting the big blazes with insights. They can access, aerial photos, stats on ground moisture and wind” and more to help fight the fires, and the data “helps firefighters and their supporting logistics teams respond as effectively as possible.” -CIO.com

2. Solving Homelessness

At The Gartner Business Intelligence & Analytics Summit 2015, there has also been a data for good push. At the BI Bake-Off Sunday afternoon, participants were given data on “homeless shelters, at risk individuals, and Census data” to help an organization called Posiba identify trends in homelessness. Some participants even incorporated weather data and advanced statistical models to show how charities can better serve underprivileged populations. -Gartner

3. Tracking Animal Abuse

A former NYPD lieutenant and a former Bronx prosecutor are making a next-gen database system for the ASPCA. According to the NY Post, the system will “help law enforcement spot trends between domestic violence and animal attacks, since they often overlap.” -NY Post

4. Promoting Fitness and Saving Lives

UNICEF has hopped on the wearable trend to improve the lives of kids everywhere. Called the UNICEF Kid Power program, it encourages American elementary school students to stay active with a wearable fitness band. How does it work? According to Mashable, “each participant tracks his or her steps, racking up points that are then converted into life-saving nutrition packets for malnourished children in developing countries.” That may go beyond data for good into data for great. -Mashable