The TolaData Story
Inspired by real life experiences of M&E experts, TolaData was designed by passionate development professionals and digital innovators to transform the way the not-for-profit sector monitors and evaluates projects to create positive impact.
Tracing our footsteps
Afghanistan was where it all began, born from a desire to improve the way things were done. It was there that the local Mercy Corps team sought to automate their data collection, consolidation and reporting, but couldn’t find an existing solution that met their needs. Not ones to give up, they took matters into their hands and set out to create their own platform, TolaData.
A complete system of its own
“Tola”, the Pashto word for “complete”, reflects what TolaData was designed to do: bring ALL data together, regardless of its source. From these humble beginnings grew a mighty platform — one that was rolled out to all Mercy Corps programs across the globe. In order to share knowledge and learnings with the wider NGO community, the creators of TolaData decided to keep the system open source.
TolaData takes flight
Of course, success is not without its challenges. Although the enthusiastic folks behind TolaData were bursting with brilliant ideas to take the platform forward, it was tough for the organisation to maintain investment for ongoing development and stay ahead of the latest technology. This led to the establishment of TolaData as a for-profit social enterprise, so that we can continue to improve on the system and share it with more organisations.
And thus a dream team was born
Today, TolaData is a committed team of experienced development professionals and digital innovators, working from Berlin and Nairobi to transform the way the not-for-profit sector monitors and evaluates its projects. TolaData’s client base is diverse and includes NGOs, public sector and multilateral agencies, social welfare organisations, international cooperation projects, foundations, social enterprises and others. We’re on a mission to help organisations create positive impact and we couldn’t be more thrilled.
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