An Insider’s Outlook… harnessing data’s power and potential

Meet Angella Hubbert, BDI Vice President of Data Services

When Angella learned about an opening in BDI’s client services department, she was hopeful her blend of education, expertise and experience was the right mix to fill the vacancy.

But after interviewing for that position, she was told BDI had a different role in mind.

At that time, there was no data services department – only a vision to grow the team and expand data management capabilities to help clients accomplish their goals. After meeting Angella and learning about her background, BDI leadership agreed she had the skills to make that happen.

With a Marketing and Communications degree from California State University, Fullerton, she’d held agency positions in sales, media, production and data before being recruited by an organization with a mission similar to BDI’s.

There, Angella ran production, data services, project management and technology systems for more than two decades, as she developed a love and enthusiasm for working with nonprofits. When the company merged and her job was eliminated, that passion drew her to our door.

“I love what we’re giving back to society… to the people that we’re helping. In the end, we’re part of that. It’s a little part, but all these little parts add up to something that is really special and magical.

So for the next year she interviewed with multiple people about what their vision of data services would look like. Then she took the job and that vision became her own.

Adding service to clients and value to the agency

As Vice President of Data Services, Angella recognized the power and potential of data could not be harnessed within the production department. It required a centralized team of its own to improve processes and enhance functionality.  

For the past five years, she has built and directed a 10-person team that includes a data scientist, a data engineer and a group of data specialists that provide database management and serve in a data advisory capacity. 

Together, the Data Services Team works hand-in-hand with clients to grow donor files, make sound strategic decisions and raise funds through donor-centric communication and outreach.

“I run a team that deals with everything that has personal donor data in it. I love the beauty and simplicity of data, and then what you can do with that data is where the magic happens. Slicing, dicing, insights, reporting – I love being a data nerd!”

Angella also loves being a coach and mentor for the talented individuals on her team. “I take that responsibility very seriously,”  she says, “to ensure that I am setting them up for success.”

A huge UCLA fan, she draws her professional inspiration and philosophy from former men’s basketball coach John Wooden and his Pyramid of Success. “It’s about teamwork and engaging with people to problem solve together and not be a dictatorship,” she says.

And with the fast-moving, ever-changing nature of their work, Angella is known for sharing a favorite Wooden quote as a reminder for her team when they’re mired in deadlines and details: If you don’t have the time to do it right, when will you have time to do it over?

New options and opportunities

Today, doing things right – efficiently and effectively – continues to drive Angella’s vision for the future of data management at BDI. Looking forward, she knows the tools for achieving even greater outcomes for our clients can be found in innovation and automation.

For example, the Data Services Team is expanding their systems software to function as a warehouse, connected directly to clients’ platforms. This model allows BDI to access client data automatically, refreshed nightly and immune from human errors. Perhaps most importantly, it provides the team more time and flexibility to analyze data, offer keen insights and automate streamlined reporting, all delivered to clients on a user-friendly dashboard called Generosity360.

With this type of technology, BDI is leading the industry and Angella is excited to be a part of it.

“I get very enthusiastic because I love this aspect of the work – the fact that it is ever-changing, ever-growing. We have the ability to look at things from every angle and determine where we can automate, giving the staff and the team opportunities to offer even greater service to our clients.”

Thank you, Angella, for the passion, vision and leadership you bring to BDI. We’re excited, too, about the new inroads you and your team are poised to accomplish in the year ahead.

Stay tuned for more Insider’s Outlook articles, where BDI team members share their insight!