By Andrew Smith
A common question our volunteers get asked when talking about Good Data Institute (GDI) is: What does being a data science volunteer involve?
If you have ever considered using your data skills for social good but weren’t sure what it looks like in practice, this blog is for you. We will cover what it’s like to volunteer with GDI, including:
How you can get involved
What a typical engagement with a not-for-profit (NFP) involves
What it means to be part of our community
Plus all of the other experiences and benefits
And while this will be tailored towards the experience GDI volunteers have, the lessons and takeaways are relevant to anyone looking to contribute their data expertise to the NFP sector.
How to get involved with data science volunteering
A common challenge for many people is figuring out how they can apply their specific data skill sets to the NFP world in a volunteering capacity. I have heard of some people who reach out to charities directly, but more often than not they will not get a reply. The most common reason we hear is that NFPs often struggle to integrate volunteers' skills or worry it will create more work than value.
GDI was created for this exact reason! We are an Australian-registered charity that provides a way for data professionals to volunteer with charities that need data and analytics assistance. It works because charities can trust that GDI volunteers are well-trained and qualified. For volunteers, it makes getting involved much easier because they’re joining a trusted organisation that already has established partnerships in the sector.
We operate by running structured, high-impact projects where volunteers collaborate with charities on real-world challenges. From optimising resource allocation for youth support services to helping to leverage machine learning for drug discovery, our work spans diverse causes and countries.
If you are not based in Australia or New Zealand, and would prefer to be a part of a community that you are closer to physically, there are similar initiatives worldwide, such as: DataKind, Viz for Social Good, Data For Good, Statisticians Without Borders. Wherever you are, there are ways to apply your data skills to meaningful causes.
A day in the life of a GDI Volunteer
1) Joining GDI: Data For Good Program
Becoming a GDI volunteer means joining a dynamic, impact-driven community of data professionals who are passionate about using their skills for social good. The way volunteers get involved is through our Data For Good program.
The Data For Good program is a structured initiative that introduces volunteers to the world of NFP data work. We provide training, networking opportunities, and hands-on experience in solving real-world problems for charities. The program allows volunteers to start learning best practices for working with NFP organisations, by understanding the unique challenges they face, and exploring how data-driven solutions can make a difference.
A major highlight of the program is the Data For Good Hackathon, where volunteers collaborate intensively over a short period to develop innovative solutions for one of our NFP partners.
For example, in our 2024 Hackathon we partnered with Ersilia, a charity that is building machine learning models to improve drug discovery for low-resource settings. The hackathon challenge required teams to help develop ways to better measure and showcase the organisation's achievements and present it in a data product of their choice, primarily dashboards. Over the six week period, teams discussed various way to tackle the problem, divided the tasks amongst themselves, and came together at the end to deliver some awesome solutions to support Ersilia’s mission. These hackathons are fast-paced, hands-on, and an exciting way to apply your skills while connecting with like-minded professionals.
2) A Project with GDI
Beyond the Data For Good hackathon, GDI runs structured data projects that last several months. Unlike traditional volunteering, where individuals may struggle to find a way to contribute their skills, GDI makes it easy by curating meaningful projects and matching volunteers to causes that align with their expertise and interests.
The GDI Project Lifecycle
Joining a Project - Projects are posted throughout the year in our Slack community, allowing volunteers to choose engagements that fit their availability, social cause interests, and preferred type of data work. Whether you’re interested in machine learning, data visualisation, or analytics, there’s always a project that could benefit from your skills.
Kick-off & Onboarding - You meet your project team, led by an experienced GDI Fellow, and get introduced to the NFP organisation you'll be working with. This first meeting is an opportunity to hear from the organisation, and better understand their overall mission and what they are trying to achieve through their engagement.
Team Planning - The team figures out how they can work together to deliver the required solution. Typically, tasks will be divided based on skillsets (but not always) and you will own your own section of a project deliverable.
Working on the Project - Once you have your tasks assigned, you may find yourself working on things such as cleaning and structuring data, building dashboards, or developing custom data solutions (see example projects below). The team meets regularly (usually every couple of weeks) to review progress and troubleshoot challenges together. But also the project slack channels are very active with lots of collaboration taking place.
Engaging with the NFP - Occasionally, volunteers have the opportunity to visit the NFP's headquarters and meet the people behind the organisation. Seeing the impact firsthand can be a deeply rewarding experience (See the pics below of our volunteers Akriti, Leah and Ashish with our charity partners)
Project Completion & Handover - At the end of the project, the team delivers a solution to the NFP and ensures they can sustain and utilise the work long-term.
Example Projects
GDI projects span a wide range of causes and technical challenges. Here are some standout examples across the past few years:
R Shiny Application - Developed an interactive tool to support justice reform for Indigenous communities. Read more
Dashboard Development - Built a BI system to help Childline Thailand improve its support services. Read more
Custom Applications - Created a system to quantify the environmental impact of ocean cleaning efforts. Read more
ML Ops Pipeline - Designed an ML pipeline to support drug discovery in low-resource settings. Read more
Data Analysis - Conducted in-depth analysis to help CaringKids identify and support young carers. Read more
3) Becoming a GDI Fellow
A special kind of GDI volunteer we have in our community are our Fellows. Fellows are the lifeblood of our organisation, entrusted primarily with leading our project engagements. Their role includes building warm relationships with our NFP clients, scoping out suitable data analytics projects, and meeting regularly during engagements to ensure our outputs are delivering value for the NFPs involved. Furthermore, they have the opportunity to lead teams of enthusiastic and highly skilled GDI volunteers, creating supportive environments where they can grow as data practitioners.
The Benefits
For taking on extra involvement within the organisation, we also reward our Fellows with a number of perks:
Learning and Development Opportunities: Experiences that can be transferred to your professional careers, such as people management, project management, and client management
Leadership and Impact: A chance to lead projects and engage with NGO/sector leaders, as well as helping to shape GDI’s own strategic direction
Fellows Dinners: Twice a year we take the team out for a celebration dinner, which also serves as a great chance to connect with other Fellows
Other: Potential for a development budget plus entry into our sector mentorship program
How to become a fellow?
We have a lot of trust in our Fellows, and so we want to make sure they have all the skills required before taking on the role. This includes working as a volunteer on at least two projects with GDI. On the second project, we will often have you working as a senior volunteer. This means a fellow observes the project leadership and is ultimately accountable for the project, but you as a senior volunteer take on most of the responsibility in running the project. After this, you become eligible to step up as a Fellow!
4) Beyond the Projects - The GDI Community
One of the most rewarding aspects of volunteering with GDI is the community. It’s not just about our projects - it’s about being part of a network of passionate, like-minded data professionals. We bring the community together throughout the year, via multiple different avenues. A couple of the ways we do this are:
Our Slack Community - Volunteers can connect, share knowledge, and stay up to date with new projects and opportunities in our Slack community. There a lots of different channels to share about funny and insightful news in the data world, post new jobs, recognise our volunteers, and stay up to date with everything happening in the organisation.
In-Person Meetups - GDI has branch hubs in multiple cities (Melbourne, Sydney, Auckland) where we organise events across the year. These events give volunteers the chance to meet in person, build networks within the data community and enjoy some tasty food and drinks. In fact, we have had examples where our volunteers have secured new jobs through our in-person meetups!
Online Meetups - To accomodate volunteers outside our branch hubs, we also have opportunities throughout the year to join online virtual calls. These calls give volunteers a chance to hear about interesting projects being completed, updates in the org, as well as connect with the community.
Externally Hosted Events - We also host events open to the public, showcasing past projects and engaging a wider audience in discussions about data for good.
What Now?
The purpose of this blog was to share my experiences as a GDI volunteer and hopefully inspire others to use their data skills for good. If you’re a data professional looking for a meaningful way to contribute, we’d love to have you on board!
👉 Sign up for our Data For Good Program here
👉 Sign up to join our Bi-Monthly Newsletter here
Come be a part of it! 🚀
About GDI:
The Good Data Institute (established 2019) is a registered not-for-profit organisation (ABN: 6664087941) that aims to give not-for-profits access to data analytics (D&A) support & tools. Our mission is to be the bridge between the not-for-profit world and the world of data analytics practitioners wishing to do social good. Using D&A, we identify, share, and help implement the most effective means for growing NFP people, organisations, and their impact.
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