Free online Covid-19 data resource launches for charities

New Philanthropy Capital (NPC) has launched a free online data resource to help charities in their response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The resource collects a raft of health data to help charities establish their responses in different regions and better plan support.

The initial data set includes health measures such as Covid-19 cases and deaths and the prevalence of high-risk conditions.

Social demographic information on over 65-year olds, lone parents and deprivation statistics are also included.

As the project develops other data sets will be added, including ethnicity demographics.

The Covid-19 data for charities and funders resource went live this week and covers data for England, divided into nine regions. In addition, an interactive dashboard is being planned.

“We hope charities and funders will use this data in allocating resources. It won’t tell charities where the highest risk is, but it does make some factors clearer, and allows charities to consider how they relate to each other,” said NPC Policy Manager Tom Collinge.

“Our goal is for charities to use data to allocate resources more effectively. We are concerned, for example, that areas at high risk but with less social sector support will not loudly advocate for themselves or put in funder applications as much as places with a stronger social infrastructure. Data can stop them going unseen.”