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[VIDEO] 4 Easy Steps to Start Using Microsoft Power BI

nonprofit data

As a nonprofit fundraising data pro, you understand the importance of using data to drive decisions. But with so much data to manage, it can be overwhelming to make sense of it all. This is where Microsoft Power BI comes in. Power BI is a robust business intelligence tool that can help you turn your data into actionable insights. Translation...you can build reports and dashboards your team can drill into to get the data they need to help drive fundraising decisions.

Today, I'll guide you through four steps that will lay the foundation for bringing out the power in Power BI.

  1. Download and Install Power BI
    You can download Power BI Desktop for free from Microsoft's website. Check out this link to download. Sorry Mac users. Power BI is not available for you, but there are options. Check out Mac options here.
  2. Explore the Interface
    Once you've installed Power BI, take some time to explore the interface and familiarize yourself with the different components and features. When you open Power BI you'll be prompted to log in. If you already have a login great, if not, you don't need one so just close that screen. For the sake of our walkthrough today, there are a few main areas to pay close attention to as you explore: Report View, Data View, Model View, and Visualizations. There's a lot more to Power BI, but this will give you a strong start.
  3. Connect to Data
    Power BI can connect to a wide range of data sources. Start by connecting to a simple data source, like an Excel spreadsheet. Don't have an Excel spreadsheet to practice with? No problem. You can connect to some groovy data online with just a URL. I show you how in the video above.
  4. Create a Report
    Use the data you've imported to create a simple report. Start with a basic visualization, such as a bar chart or pie chart.

Painless right? Watch this space for more useful Power BI resources coming soon. If you have any questions, let me know via the Contact page on my website.

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