At The Arts Council of Greater Greensboro, we believe that understanding impact starts with understanding data. That’s why we are building a Data Center of Excellence, beginning with strengthening our internal practices and expanding to help our arts partners make the most of their own data collection and reporting.
In September 2024, Jordan Pearson joined The ACGG as our Data and File Management Assistant, working alongside Cyndi Dancy, Founder of Dancy Research, Inc., a professional dedicated to helping organizations harness data for economic development. Together, they established a set of shared data definitions to guide consistency in how we capture and communicate numbers with transparency to our stakeholders.
From there, Jordan began working one-on-one with a focus group of arts organizations, including Carolina Theatre, Greensboro Downtown Parks, GreenHill Center for NC Art, and Music for a Great Space. These partnerships are designed to align ACGG’s data strategy with each organization’s systems and goals. While approaches vary, each consultation emphasizes best practices around stewardship, shared definitions, and effective reporting.
Topics have ranged from using high-tech tracking tools to creating incentives for survey completion.
“These meetings are really about identifying blind spots. It’s rewarding to see how organizations begin to view their data in a new light.”
Looking ahead, Jordan is developing a community-wide survey that will support arts organizations in understanding their own data while also contributing to a broader snapshot of the arts landscape in Greensboro. This summer, Campus Greensboro Fellow Ishmam Mustain joined the team as an intern to help build data visualizations that reflect the reach of our programming and further strengthen the foundation for this important work.
As we move forward together, telling the data story helps us understand and communicate the true and lasting impact of the arts. It also allows each arts organization to advocate more effectively for funding, for visibility, and for the value of creative work in every corner of our community.
