Community Education Centre (CEC)
The Community Education Centre (CEC) is one of the core pillars of the Charity Insights Canada Project (CICP). It reflects our commitment to building lasting, accessible infrastructure that helps nonprofit and charitable organizations better understand, interpret, and use data about the sector.
Through the CEC, we offer free, public-facing learning opportunities designed to build confidence in working with data, whether you are just starting out or looking to strengthen existing skills.
Learning to Interpret Data
Data literacy is often described as the ability to examine, analyze, and communicate data in a critical and ethical way. Our goal is to increase confidence in working with data while encouraging thoughtful reflection on how data is collected, interpreted, and used.
Data literacy is broad, but its purpose is essential. Data is everywhere, and the ability to collect, understand, and communicate it meaningfully is vital for informed decision-making, accountability, and impact in today’s nonprofit and charitable sector.
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Our Resources –
New: Live Data Literacy Webinar Series
We are excited to launch a new series of live, interactive data literacy webinars, open and free to the public. These sessions are designed specifically for nonprofit and charitable professionals who want to better understand data but may feel uncertain, overwhelmed, or under-resourced.
All sessions:
- Are hosted live on Zoom
- Are free and open to the public
- Will be recorded and posted on our website for later viewing
Upcoming Sessions –
Mar 3
Workshop 1: What Are Data?
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1:00 PM to 2:00 PM
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Virtual Event
Self-Guided Learning: Data Literacy Modules
In addition to our live webinars, the Community Education Centre hosts a growing collection of self-guided data literacy modules. These resources are designed to support professionals working in the nonprofit and charitable sector as they collect, interpret, and communicate data in meaningful ways.
All modules are:
- Free of charge
- Open to the public
- Designed with nonprofit realities in mind
Data Literacy 1.0 – Module 1
Preface Welcome to Data Literacy 1.0 of the Charity Insights Canada Project’s (CICP) Community Education Centre (CEC). This plan has been designed to empower individuals …
Other Useful Data Literacy Resources –
As we continue to expand the Community Education Centre, we also highlight valuable data literacy resources developed by other organizations. While this list is not exhaustive, we hope it helps you find additional tools and training to support your work.
Know of an important data literacy resource we should include? Let us know at CICP.Research@carleton.ca.
Statistics Canada’s Data Literacy Training
As Canada’s national statistical organization, Statistics Canada offers a comprehensive data literacy training program. The goal is to provide learners with information on basic concepts and skills across a range of data literacy topics. Their learning catalogue is organized by steps on the data journey and can be sorted by title, data competency, level, and type.
The Data Literacy Project
This initiative provides a variety of free courses designed to enhance data literacy. Modules cover topics such as understanding data, data storytelling, and data-informed decision-making. While not exclusively for non-profits, the content is broadly applicable and beneficial.
CanadaHelps’ Data Literacy Workshop
Supported by the Ontario Trillium Foundation, CanadaHelps offers a Data Literacy Workshop aimed at empowering charities to effectively use data. This initiative is part of a series of data services developed to support the charitable sector.
Data Literacy for Social Change
This program provides training for non-profit organizations on how to use data to advance their mission and evaluate programming. It focuses on helping organizations understand program implementation and outcomes through data.
Canadian Centre for Nonprofit Digital Resilience
This center aims to help nonprofits thrive in a tech-driven world by promoting the use of data and technology to advance their missions and multiply their impact. They offer resources and support to build digital capacity within the sector.
Data Literacy Training by Data Literacy for All
Tableau’s initiative provides free online data skills training designed to fit busy schedules, allowing individuals and organizations to level up their data knowledge and gain valuable, in-demand skills.
Data Literacy Program by EMILI
Focused on digital agriculture, EMILI’s data literacy program aims to position individuals to ask the right questions when considering investments in new digital technology. While agriculture-focused, the foundational concepts are transferable.