Episode 13: Why Nonprofit Data Matters - Analyzing Global Nonprofit Data Accessibility - Preliminary Findings

Podcast Description Access to reliable nonprofit data is foundational to transparency, accountability, and informed decision-making—yet across the world, that access remains deeply uneven. In this episode, we break down the research behind Analyzing Global Nonprofit Data Accessibility: Preliminary Findings from a Cross-National Comparative Study and explore what it reveals about how countries collect, manage, and publicly share information about nonprofit organizations. Drawing on a global analysis of nonprofit registries across all world regions, the episode examines where nonprofit data is accessible, where it is missing entirely, and how differences in registration requirements, governance structures, and digital infrastructure shape what governments, funders, researchers, and nonprofit leaders can actually see. Listeners will learn why legal registration does not necessarily equal transparency, how regional disparities—particularly in Africa and Oceania—limit accountability, and why the lack of shared global standards makes cross-national comparison so difficult. Designed for nonprofit leaders, policymakers, funders, and scholars alike, this conversation highlights why strengthening nonprofit data infrastructure is not just a technical issue, but a critical step toward building trust, improving collaboration, and supporting more effective civil society ecosystems worldwide.