Oakland, CA

For nearly 30 years, DataCenter has delivered the power of information and knowledge into the hands of people working to make a more equitable and sustainable world.

democratizing research - building grassroots power - making change possible

The DataCenter strives for a sustainable economy and environment, a just and humane criminal justice system, and leadership of young people—a better world for seven generations to come, through...

sharing power
We help to level the information playing field by making proprietary databases and sophisticated analysis tools accessible for community investigations.

developing strategy
Issue analysis, political landscape analysis, mapping power relationships, profiling decision-makers, uncovering conflicts of interest, researching corporate finances, labor and environmental track records, gathering experience from similar campaigns, discovering opportunities, finding allies.

democratizing research
We address the disconnect between community knowledge and "authoritative research" by helping communities learn and apply social science tools so they share "expert status" with policymakers and academic institutions.

supporting community-based research
Documenting community conditions and building community power by engaging members in research design, data collection, analysis and strategy.

transferring skills
Our workshops build on participants' existing knowledge and peer learning to equip them to conduct their own research and apply findings in their organizing and policy work.

realizing our vision
We share leadership, knowledge and accountability within our organization, hire from the communities we work in, and support the leadership of people of color.