If your organization is investing in technology, especially in artificial intelligence then there’s one undeniable truth: data leads the way. Data is the fuel that powers machine learning, predictive models, personalization engines, and all the futuristic tools we’re told will revolutionize our work.

But before organizations can harness its full potential, ask a fundamental question:

Who is in charge of data at your organization?

The Real Answer: Everyone

We often want a simple answer to this question, a single point of responsibility, a department, or a role. But the reality is more complex.

Data is everyone’s job.

It doesn’t mean that everyone has to become a data scientist or learn SQL. It means that everyone, from fundraisers to event planners to communications teams, has a role to play in collecting, storing, and communicating information in ways that are accessible and usable by others.

Let’s unpack what that looks like in practice.

Meet Emily: A Familiar Scenario

Imagine you’re Emily, a comms team member eager to gain insights to improve your work. You’re looking for answers to questions like:

• Who received the last direct mail campaign?
  
  
• Who RSVP’d to an event within the first week of being invited?
  
  
• What types of funds has a specific donor shown interest in?
  
  

Surely the answers are in the system somewhere, right?

But too often, they’re not.

Or worse, the data does exist, but it's fragmented across platforms, hidden in a spreadsheet somewhere, or recorded inconsistently. For Emily, the process becomes a scavenger hunt, rather than an insight discovery.

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Visibility is the Key

So how do we fix this?

We make data visibility part of everyone’s job.

A data-literate organization in a perfect world means:

• Emily ensures she knows what data she needs and how to access it.
  
  
• She clearly communicates those needs to others.
  
  
• Her colleagues, in turn, understand their role in making that data available and usable.
  

It’s a feedback loop, a shared responsibility that bridges silos and strengthens collaboration.

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Why Breakdowns Happen

There are usually two culprits when this loop fails:

1. Technology breakdowns – Systems aren’t connected, data isn’t connected, or the tools in place are too rigid or outdated.
   
   
2. Communication breakdowns – Teams don’t know what others need, aren’t trained on how to input or retrieve information, or are missing the forest for the trees.
   

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Technology can address the first. It can connect data, streamline access, and even flag missing or inconsistent information.

But technology alone can’t fix communication. That’s where humans are essential.

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Humans in the Loop

We talk about automation and AI like that will do all the work for us. But the reality is: technology needs us.

Humans are the ones who:

• Understand what data matters for the business.
  
  
• Interpret results and add context.
  
  
• Ensure insights are acted on meaningfully.
  
  

Humans need to be in the loop, because context, and strategic thinking aren’t always accounted for.

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So, What Can You Do Next?

Here are three immediate steps you can take to reinforce a data-conscious culture:

1. Clarify responsibilities, one step at a time.‍

• Define who needs what, when, and why, this is best done simultaneously alongside existing processes. Make small changes and take note of inconsistencies along the way. Progress happens - one step at a time. Then continuously work to ensure systems and workflows reflect those needs, and automate the simple things that make sense first.

2. Audit your data landscape, one step at a time.

• What data are you collecting? Where does it live? 

3. Talk about data regularly.

• Build data into team meetings, project planning, and post-mortems. Make it part of the conversation.

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Final Thought

Technology is a tool, data is the fuel. . . but the engine that brings them together? That’s people.

So the next time we ask, “Who is responsible for data?”—remember: Data is everyone’s job.

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