Washington, D.C. (PRWEB) July 19, 2016
Two recipients have been selected for APT Charities grants to promote using data to make better decisions in the non-profit space. MEANS Database received $15,000 for expanding on-going data gathering and usage. A stimulus award of $5,000 was granted to The Reading Connection to support their burgeoning data collection efforts.
APT Charities strives to incorporate data into the non-profit sector, primarily by awarding grants to further data collection, analysis, and their resulting actions. Based in Arlington, Virginia, APT Charities looks for other non-profits to support, with the applicant’s desire to incorporate data into current programming or its long-term strategy as a key metric for selecting the organization. APT Charities has given four grants previously; grants are supported by donations from members and from APT. “We are extremely excited to bring two more smart, forward-thinking organizations into the fold,” say Corinne Walters, APT Charities Board Chair.
The Reading Connection has served at-risk children in the greater Washington, D.C. metro area for 27 years through its Read-Aloud, Book Club and literacy development training programs. Courtney Kissell, the Executive Director of The Reading Connection, comments, “This opportunity came at a wonderful time for TRC. We recently created a staff position solely to design and implement evaluation processes, and this grant will enable us to build the technical support we need.”
With the grant of $5,000, The Reading Connection will be able to build a searchable database with its partner, Acumen Solutions, to enable outcomes-based decision-making. “The Reading Connection was a strong applicant for our Stimulus Award, and we are so happy they will be able to take the data they’ve been collecting, aggregate it, and begin to use it for marketing, development, and programming,” says Angus Fudge, a member of APT Charities and its Grants Committee.
Matching Excess and Needs for Stability (MEANS) Database provides a platform to connect food pantries and their donors. Aiming to simplify food donation, MEANS Database matches food needs and supply in 42 states. Zoey Jordan Salsbury, Communications Director at MEANS Database, says, “This grant gives us the opportunity to better serve emergency food providers by learning about system inefficiencies and potential opportunities to grow our network.” With the $15,000 grant from APT Charities, MEANS Database will expand their database of food service providers and identify targets for program expansion. This effort was appealing to APT Charities member Steve Wang, who notes, “The commitment of the MEANS Database to identifying the organizations that can benefit most from a donor matching system is something that our members were excited to support.”
APT Charities has granted over $50,000 since its inaugural grant in 2015 through the generosity of its members and of APT. While the applicants have ranged from food kitchens such as DC Central Kitchen to American youth immigrant services such as Liberty’s Promise, a unified thread – increasing the ability of the non-profit sector to analyze data to increase their potential – has run through all of those selected. Members of APT Charities pledge their support by both contributing monetary donations and by learning about and voting for those applicants that best fit APT Charities’ mission. The next grant cycle for APT Charities requests applications by September 30th, 2016. More information can be found at aptcharities.org.
About APT Charities
APT Charities was founded on the principle that data can help everyone. We believe that decisions should be validated by collecting and analyzing evidence. As an organization, it is our hope to aid those in the non-profit sector by providing grants to collect, organize, and sift through it, as well as make impactful changes based on that evidence. In short, our mission is to give gifts directly to organizations that have a demonstrated need and specific goal for funds, including those who engage in or could benefit from data-driven solutions. APT Charities is supported by Applied Predictive Technologies, a MasterCard company. Members also contribute and are encouraged to find organizations to apply, as well as vote on grant recipients. Visit http://www.aptcharities.org to learn more.
About MEANS Database
MEANS Database seeks to combat hunger and food waste through a real-time, location-based notification platform. Connecting donors and food pantries in 42 states, MEANS Database was founded on the premise that it should be easier for those with excess food to share with those in need.
About The Reading Connection
The Reading Connection is dedicated to improving the lives of at-risk children and families by helping them create and sustain literacy-rich environments and motivation for reading. TRC accomplishes this mission by training and deploying volunteers who read aloud to children at shelters and community centers; providing children with free, new books to keep; offering workshops that help parents encourage reading and literacy development at home; and training social service agency staff and early-childhood educators in early literacy issues and read-aloud best practices.
About APT
APT, a MasterCard Company, is a leading cloud-based analytics software company that enables organizations to rapidly and precisely measure cause-and-effect relationships between business initiatives and outcomes to generate economic value. Our intuitive and proprietary Test & Learn® software utilizes sophisticated algorithms to analyze large amounts of data, enabling business leaders to conduct experiments and allowing them to make optimal decisions and implement business initiatives at scale. APT also offers products that support decision-making for specific business needs including transaction analysis, space planning, promotion design, category management and location selection. APT’s client portfolio features some of the world’s best known brands, including Walmart, Starbucks, Coca-Cola, Victoria’s Secret, American Family, Hilton Worldwide, SUBWAY, TD Bank, T-Mobile, and others. APT has offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, London, Bentonville, Taipei, Tokyo, Sydney, and Chicago. Visit http://www.predictivetechnologies.com to learn more.