MADTA’s Charity Data Challenge returns in January
Howard Lake | 21 December 2018 | News
MADTA (Making a Difference Through Analytics) is hosting its fourth annual Charity Data Challenge in January and is looking for charities with a specific data problem or opportunity to take part.
The Challenge takes the form of a week-long virtual hackathon, matching commercial data analysts around the world in teams of up to five to charities and their data challenge. All the data analysts volunteer their time and compete against each other to impress the judges.
Prizes on offer include £100s of vouchers plus mentoring by the judges.
The 2019 Challenge takes place from 17 – 25 January.
Two challenges
This time there will be two separate challenges, both of which will leverage open source data.
• one set of challenges (as in past years) to focus on generating rich insights and simple visualisation using complex data.
• a second challenge to create the best machine learning algorithm using natural language processing (NLP) on a problem which will not only help many charities but also society globally.
Organisers, Nandu Govindankutty, Director at Barclays Ventures, and John Conway, who both founded MADTA, describe the second challenge as particularly “tough”.
All entries have to be submitted by 8am (UK time) on 25 January. For those taking part from outside the UK or who can’t attend the Barclays office in London, they should also submit a recording of what they’ve achieved.
Judges
This year’s challenge judges are senior leaders from Barclays, Google, Action on Hearing Loss, Mencap and Digital Catapult.
Charities and data analysts interested in taking part should contact Nandu Govindankutty.
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Had an amazing week. 7 challenges 6 wonderful charities and amazing entries across the world @ParkinsonsUK @mencap_charity @equal education @action on hearing loss @Shelter @MuseumofLondon #charitydatahackathon pic.twitter.com/nrfTUa4PwF
— Nandu Govindankutty (@nandutweets) December 9, 2017
- Seven charities to benefit from data hackathon (1 December 2017)
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About Howard Lake
Howard Lake is consultant editor of UK Fundraising. He founded the site in 1994 and successfully sold it in 2022. As director of Giving X Ltd he is exploring growing giving on a massive scale.
He is the founder of Fundraising Camp and co-founder of GoodJobs.