(And What You Can Learn From The Pandemic)
Here are three things we are seeing a lot of these days:
Charts, maps, and graphs showing increasing COVID cases in many parts of the country,
Appeals to the public to wear masks and social distance when out in public, and
People out in public NOT wearing masks and not social distancing.
What gives? I talk a lot about using data viz to shorten the journey from data to action. And, indeed, it can reduce travel times by bringing into focus the message behind the data. But even when our audience clears this first hurdle of understanding what the data show, they confront other hurdles that delay or prevent effective action. These hurdles are likely behind rising COVID cases, and they are likely behind challenges at your organization.
A May 2020 article in Nature Human Behaviour sheds some light on different types of barriers between data and action. A few obstacles that are pertinent to nonprofit organizations are:
Fear. Those rising COVID slopes can evoke fear. So can data that your organization shares to raise funds, get volunteers, or spur activism (on violence, hunger, health needs, etc. ) Research findings suggest that fear only leads to behavior change when people feel capable of dealing with the threat. Otherwise, it can shut down action. So those rising slopes may be more effective when coupled with information that increases viewers’ sense of efficacy in the face of the problem such as: “Your donation of $100 will provide 50 meals to families in need.”
Perceived Norms. You’ve heard it before. We are social animals and are keenly affected by the behavior of others. However, research shows we often are wrong about what other folks are doing. So even if we see the danger in charts, we may do the wrong thing to match our perception of the social norm. In this situation, we need some information to correct our perceptions. For example, charts showing that most people are wearing masks or that those whom we admire are wearing masks can help. Similarly, we can show potential donors, volunteers, and activists what others are doing or giving to prompt action.
Individual Interest. Fighting a pandemic, reducing poverty, addressing climate change, among other aims, require each of us to bear an individual cost for the common good. Charts may suggest how dire the situation is, but it’s hard to relate these big issues to our daily behaviors. We feel the effects of our individual sacrifices, but the impact of those sacrifices on the larger community is harder to perceive — particularly when the impact is invisible because it’s a problem that has been prevented. Research suggests that we can overcome individual interests by providing cues that make the morality of an individual action more clear. Check out this brilliant cartoon which shows COVID cases averted with gray lines. Consider how your organization can show your stakeholders how their (in)actions affect the wider community.
See animated version of the cartoon here.
To see past data tips, including those about other chart types, click HERE.
Let’s talk about YOUR data!
Got the feeling that you and your colleagues would use your data more effectively if you could see it better? Data Viz for Nonprofits (DVN) can help you get the ball rolling with an interactive data dashboard and beautiful charts, maps, and graphs for your next presentation, report, proposal, or webpage. Through a short-term consultation, we can help you to clarify the questions you want to answer and goals you want to track. DVN then visualizes your data to address those questions and track those goals.