Welcome and Introduction • Get Data • Communicate • Learn • Data-driven Decision Making 

The Connecticut Nonprofit Strategy Platform is a research and communication tool for Connecticut's nonprofits, state policy makers and funders to use for public policy planning and action. The Platform has four central goals: 1. Get Data: Provides the capacity to map Connecticut's nonprofit resources against social/economic needs and trends, and assess the financial strength of nonprofit assets and gaps in service. 2. Communicate: Provides an effective communication tool, Community Impact Circles, for collaboration strategic planning and the sharing and storage of data/documents for statewide agency collaboration. 3. Learn: Provides education on the usage of Results- Based Accountability (RBA), the assessment method used by the Connecticut General Assembly Appropriations Committee in its decision-making. 4. Coordinated Action: The Platform provides a common space for all to gain and share information, communicate and create coordinated action. 

Pilot funding provided by a grant from The Collaborative (CTDC) is a project of the New Connecticut Foundation. CTDC has two main websites: www.CT.Data.org and this CT Nonprofit Strategy Platform. CT.Data.org works with state agencies to make available state social indicator trend data for public policy and agency planning. CT Nonprofit Strategy Platform focuses on data on Connecticut nonprofits, with the same goal. A long range vision is to merge functionalities of the two websites together. The University of Connecticut Nonprofit Leadership Program is the lead agency in the development of the Platform in partnership with the United Way of Connecticut 2-1-1, Urban Institute's National Center for Charitable Statistics, and many Connecticut nonprofit and state agency partners. The Connecticut Nonprofit Strategy Platform is a program of the Connecticut Data Collaborative (CTCD). The Collaborative works with state agencies and nonprofits to improve the quality of and access to data that can inform state public policy development and program evaluation. More on the CTDC can be found at www.ctpolicydata.org/about. Agencies Nonprofits 

Connecticut is one of the first states in the country to join the Urban Institute's National Center for Charitable Statistics, Community Platform Network. Currently 20 Platforms and growing—in states and counties have been developed or are in process. The long range goal is to connect the Connecticut Nonprofit Strategy Platform to nonprofit data and community platforms in all 50 states. 

Nonprofit Mapping Financial Analysis Community Impact Circles Education Resources Funder and Nonprofit Exchange Map Connecticut nonprofit resources to socio-economic trend data and human needs. Analyze the financial health of Connecticut nonprofits, based digitalized on IRS provided 990 data. Strengthen the impact of nonprofit, community and state agency collaborations—through web-based communication, planning, assessment and data sharing and storage tools. Education resources on Results-Based Accountability (RBA), the assessment method used by the CT General Assembly Appropriations Committee, along with other public policy and nonprofit management practices and readings. A space for future development to provide tools, processes and Funder/Grantee relationship from RFP submissions to assessment. Key Platform Tool Summary 

Map Connecticut Socio-economic Trends Additionally, trend data on over 10,000 Connecticut and national socio-economic indicators are available at our sister site www.CTData.org. Map Your Own Data At CTData.org you have the capacity to map your own data for strategic planning or for case statements to stakeholders. Mapping Connecticut’s Nonprofits Find partners, assess need, plan and strategically tell your story. Using United Way of Connecticut’s 2-1-1 and IRS 990 data the Platform maps and provides you resource data on over 12,000 Connecticut nonprofits. You can also overlay nonprofit resources with national socio-economic trend data, allowing you map out needs and resources, illustrate gaps in service and think strategically. Nonprofit Mapping 

Through partnership with the IRS and the United Way of Connecticut, the Connecticut Nonprofit Strategy Platform provides information on every Connecticut organization that is registered as a nonprofit with the IRS or provides program information to the United Way of Connecticut’s 2-1-1 system. Nonprofit Mapping 

Financial Data on CT Nonprofits Tell your story and plan strategically without slogging through PDFs. The Platform provides digital access to all federal IRS 990 financial data submitted by Connecticut nonprofits and funders. Financial analysis tools are provided using the same financial ratios used by the Governor's Cabinet on Nonprofit Health and Human Services. Plan and strategize with comparable data that helps tell your story to stakeholders. Financial Analysis Important Advisory: A 990 is one snapshot in time. Although 990 ratio analyses provided here can be useful tools, the information can be dated and can not reflect current conditions of a nonprofit especially in turbulent economic times. 

Strengthen the capacity of your collaboration to act and impact. Through Community Impact Circles, the Platform provides collaborations of nonprofits, community and state agency partners with an effective web- based communication (e.g. screen- sharing conference calling), network management, project management, program progress measurement and document sharing and storage tools —all in one site. Community Impact Circles At a click of a button, strengthen your collaboration’s power to work together and impact your community, now. 

What is your organization’s RBA competency? The Platform provides nonprofits with educational support in understanding and using Results-Based Accountability (RBA). RBA is the assessment, planning, budgeting and performance measurement system adopted by Connecticut General Assembly's Appropriations Committee to inform its funding decision-making. As the State moves towards performance contracting, RBA is likely to be the framework and language used in all state contracts. Additional Public Policy and Educational Resources on nonprofit best practices being developed. RBA Education & Resources 

Thank you for viewing this Tutorial. If you have any questions or feedback, please click on the Feedback button in the upper right of any page of the Platform. Or, contact Dr. David Garvey at University of Connecticut Nonprofit Leadership Program at [email protected]. Next Step: Register as a user so you can save your data, financial calculations and maps. Click on Log In in the upper right corner of the Platform or watch the Getting Started Tutorial on the Home Page.