What We Talk About When We Talk About Data

The world of nonprofit data is full of buzzwords and jargon that gets tossed around a lot, often indiscriminately. Some of those words have specific definitions that are subtly — and sometimes completely — different from how they’re being used, while others are vague to the extent that they become almost meaningless.

What do we mean when we talk about measuring “impact” or using “big data”? Both those words have clear definitions but are often used ambiguously.