Nonprofit Launches Campaign for Better Government Data Access

When you check weather forecasts, compare food prices, or research your local schools, you're relying on government data. Now a major nonprofit wants to make sure that information stays available and accurate for everyone.

USAFacts, founded by former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, just launched "The Data We Depend On." The campaign pushes Congress to strengthen public data infrastructure and actually use that data when making policy decisions.

The organization's new president Lauren Woodman sees this moment as transformational. She took the helm on April 20 with a clear mission: empower voters to demand better access to government information ahead of the midterms.

The need is urgent. Federal data collection has faced significant setbacks, with reports on climate disasters and food insecurity being scrapped. Thousands of government workers involved in collecting this information have lost their jobs.

There's another twist: artificial intelligence. As AI systems become more common, they need accurate, up-to-date federal data to give people reliable information. When government datasets are hard to access or rarely updated, AI can't help citizens make informed decisions.

Woodman brings deep experience to the challenge. She previously led Datakind, bringing data science to nonprofits, and NetHope, which improves digital services for humanitarian organizations.

She's watched firsthand how missing data confuses Americans. At NetHope, she encountered people who believed foreign aid consumed massive chunks of the federal budget. The reality? Less than 2% of government spending goes to foreign aid.

The Ripple Effect

When citizens access clear government data, they can hold leaders accountable and push for change that actually helps their communities. Better data infrastructure means parents can research school performance, small business owners can understand economic trends, and voters can separate fact from fiction.

USAFacts has made government numbers understandable since 2017. This nonpartisan organization turns complex federal data into digestible information anyone can use.

Woodman believes improved data access could reshape civic engagement for generations. "That gives us the opportunity to shape what the next 20, 30, 40, 50 years looks like," she says.

Democracy works best when people have facts, and this campaign aims to keep those facts flowing.