Measuring Our Impact

As Milwaukee’s trusted nonprofit data intermediary, we’ve helped communities understand and use data to improve outcomes—making complex information accessible, actionable, and aligned with equity goals since 2016. Our free data tools are accessible through under our “Data Resources” tab and include Interactive Maps of Milwaukee, Neighborhood Portraits, Milwaukee Indicators, Neighborhood Dashboards, and much more. Over the years we’ve stayed committed to our mission of advancing community access to data and the skills needed to drive informed and equitable decision-making in Milwaukee and beyond. Below you will find our annual reports that explain how exactly we’ve impacted Milwaukee and our growth throughout the years.

2024 Annual Impact Report

Data is Power: Using Data to Transform Milwaukee

This year, our theme says it all — Data is Power. Not power in the abstract sense, but power that lives in community, power that informs decisions, and power that makes transformation possible. From starting the plan to launch Milwaukee’s first-ever Milwaukee Wealth Index (a one-of-a-kind data set that positions Milwaukee as a leading city) to empowering young people to become data storytellers, to evaluating cross-sector efforts that address maternal health, food insecurity, housing, and gun violence — we have expanded our role as both a trusted data partner and a catalyst for systems change. In 2024 year, we have continued to pur our values into action by:

Democratizing Data: We expanded access to neighborhood-level insights by enhancing our tools and making local data easier to understand, explore, and act on.

Strengthening Capacity: Through hands-on workshops and coalition-based learning, we equipped partners with the confidence, skills, and infrastructure to turn data into action.

Connecting Stories to Statistics: Our community-driven events brought together hundreds of residents, affirming that data becomes powerful when grounded in lived experience.

2023 Annual Impact Report

At Data You Can Use, our mission and vision are the driving forces behind all our endeavors. Data, we believe, is a powerful instrument for effecting positive change, particularly in neighborhoods and marginalized communities. In 2023, unwavering dedication to democratizing data and promoting systems change led to the following significant achievements:

1. Expanded Access to Data
2. Enhanced Data Capacity
3. Strengthened Collaborations
4. Diversity, Beloning, and Inclusion
5. Financial and Operational Stability

In 2023, we expanded our reach and introduced new approaches to positively impact the Milwaukee community. Data You Can Use is firmly rooted in the conviction that data can serve as a catalyst for positive change. We expressed our heartfelt gratitude for the support of our community and partners as we continue our journey towards creating equitable and health communities. Together, we harness data as a powerful tool for systems change, neighborhood improvement, and the upliftment of marginalized communities.