Mapping Philanthropy:
How You Can Use Data Visualization to Do Good
Using GoToWebinar• If you lose your internet
connection, reconnect using the link emailed to you.
• If you need help or have questions, please type into the questions/chat box.
• You can adjust your audio settings using the audio pane.
• All attendees will be muted automatically.
• This seminar will be available on the TechSoup website along with past webinar presentations: www.techsoup.org/go/webinars
• You will receive a link to this presentation, material and links.
• Twitter hashtag: #techsoup
You are being recorded…
Mapping Philanthropy:
How You Can Use Data Visualization to Do Good
Presenters
Kyla HuntTechSoupFacilitator
George FordFoundation Center
Presenter
Assisting with chat: Becky Wiegand
Jake GarciaFoundation Center
Presenter
• Jake Garcia: Visualizing Philanthropy• George Ford: Foundation Directory Online• Questions from the audience
Agenda
Poll Questions
Visualizing Philanthropy:Methods for Obtaining, Curating, and Visualizing Data
to Reveal Trends in Philanthropic Funding
March 29, 2012
Jake GarciaGIS Web DeveloperFoundation CenterNew York, NY
The Foundation Center
Leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide
• Information on more than 105,000 global foundations, corporate donors, and grantmaking public charities
• Database of 4.6 million grants
The Foundation Center
Aims to enhance grantmaker and nonprofit effectiveness through shared information and understanding• Research reports and advisories on giving trends
• Mapping tools
• Custom, issue-based portals—Economic crisis, U.S. education, funding after the Haiti earthquake
It starts with Open Data…
In regard to U.S.-based philanthropy, our datasets originate from tax forms that foundations submit to the U.S. government.
The government, in turn, makes the completed forms available to the public.
… but the data requires curation.
Data extractionOccasionally requires optical character recognition (OCR)
Data coding • Internal subject taxonomy includes 1,100 codes• Recipient type• Population codes• Location of recipients as well as location of projects
Goals for visualizing grant data
Show the flow of $ from foundations to non-profits/NGOs.
Identify trends, gaps, or concentration of funding.
Place funding flows in context.
Open data sources
Data by region:World Bank—data.worldbank.orgU.S. government—data.gov
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) files:geo.data.govdata.geocomm.comnaturalearthdata.com
Problems with data
Grants data
Incomplete grant descriptions
Imprecise geographic definitions
Re-granting
Sample grant record
Problems in data visualization
Correlation is not causation.
“Modifiable Area Unit Problem” (MAUP) and “Ecological Fallacy”
Need to compare apples to apples, requires taxonomical rigor
Problems in data visualization
It’s too easy to lie with maps (and charts).See Monmonier, M. 1996. How to Lie with Maps. U. of Chicago.; and Tufte, E. 2001. The Visual Display of Quantitative Information. Graphics Press.
Consider cartographic rules of thumb.E.g., use bubbles for raw figures, choropleth (polygon shading) only for ratios.
Trends in U.S. philanthropy
An API exists for this data.
Aggregated dataU.S. foundation assets increased across the board in 1997.
Glasspockets.org/
Trends in U.S. philanthropy
An API exists for this data.
Aggregated dataU.S. foundation assets decreased across the board in 2008.
Glasspockets.org/
Trends in U.S. philanthropy
An API exists for this data.
Aggregated dataComparing trends among grant recipients per state.
Trends in U.S. philanthropy
An API exists for this data.
Aggregated dataComparing trends among grant recipients by subject.
Trends in international philanthropy
Specific regions/topicsNumber of grants intended for projects in Haiti, 2005 to 2011
An API exists for this data.
foundationcenter.org/haiti
An API exists for this data.
Specific regions/topics:Haiti, grant $, each subject
(not including funding for Safety/Disasters)
foundationcenter.org/haiti
Trends in international philanthropy
An API exists for this data.
Specific regions/topics:Haiti, grant $, each subject
(including funding for Safety/Disasters)
foundationcenter.org/haiti
Trends in international philanthropy
Combining data sets
FC and World Bank dataNo Ag/Forestry project funding in Angola, 2001 to 2007
This app uses the World Bank’s data API.http://gis.foundationcenter.org/worldmap/index.php
2003 2005 2007
Combining data sets
FC, World Bank, and OECD dataFunding for water, sanitation, and hygiene worldwide
This app uses the World Bank’s data API (referencing JMP’s data).
Combining data sets
FC, World Bank, and OECD dataOECD funding for WASH projects
This includes OECD’s data, which is open but is not available via API.
Combining data sets
FC, World Bank, and OECD dataViewing a country profile with multiple data sources: Kenya
This includes data from the World Bank’s data API, as well as OECD’s data, which is open but is not available via API.
Combining data sets
FC and OECD dataViewing funding details: Kenya
This includes OECD’s data, which is open but is not available via API.
Grant records
OECD funding
Next steps for APIs
International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI)Providing data in a common format, with a codified structure and taxonomy
PartnershipsWorking with the World Bank and others to establish geocoding standards for tracking international projects (e.g., Haiti)
Prototype application: HAITI AIDU.S. foundation grants and World Bank projects, Haiti, 2005-2011
maps.worldbank.org
maps.worldbank.org
AIDDATA.ORG
Examplesof data visualization applications
OpenLayers*ESRI
GeoServer*Google MapsMapServer*
ESRIQGIS*uDig*
GRASS*GeoDa*
R*
Emprise JS Charts*Google Charts
Rafael*Highcharts*
jQuery Sparklines*d3.js
R*, SPSS, SASExcel
Photoshop/Illustrator
Mapping
Charting
Web Desktop
* open source
Takeaway #1
4.6 million grants from 105,000 foundations, and counting, accessible via dozens of data products, some of which are free and available via APIs.
The Foundation Center has extensive data on US and international philanthropy.
Takeaway #2
Good data visualization requires good data.Good data requires curation.
+ curation = clean data
Also, it’s too easy to mislead an audience (and yourself) by using quickly mashed-up or un-vetted data—be careful out there!
Takeaway #3
Focus on the meaning of the data, not just on how cool it looks:
-- is it accurate?
-- did it help sustain the author’s argument?
-- did it help you (or anyone else) make a decision?
Mapping Grants: Using data visualization features in Foundation Directory Online to research funding prospects
George FordProduct ManagerFoundation CenterNew York, NY
Foundation Directory Online
• Over 100,000 grantmakers and 2.4 million grants
• Search funders, grants, companies, 990s, and more
• Save searches, tag records, export results lists
• Detailed funder portfolios• Interactive grant maps
and charts
FDO Maps & Charts
Grantmaker-specific grant maps and charts • See a funder’s grants from 2003 through 2012
• View by year, grant subject, or recipient type
• Drill down to sub-levels, get recipient lists, and view grant records
• Tools – copy map/chart images, generate PDFs, and export tabular data to spreadsheet
On the Horizon: Geographic Area Served data
Not just where the recipient organization is headquartered, but where the beneficiaries are.
Map views:Continent; int’l region, country, domestic (U.S.) regions, states
Contact
George FordProduct Manager, Online Subscription ServicesFoundation Center79 Fifth AvenueNew York, NY 10003
Questions
• The Foundation Center is the leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide. Through data, analysis, and training we connect people who want to change the world to the resources they need to succeed.
Who is the Foundation Center?
Who is TechSoup?• TechSoup is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.• As of June 2010, TechSoup served more than
127,000 organizations, distributed more than 6.3 million technology donations, and enabled nonprofit recipients to save more than $1.8 billion in IT expenses in 33 countries around the world.
TechSoup is part of TechSoup Global, is working towards the day when every
nonprofit, library, and social benefit organization on the planet has the
technology, knowledge, and resources they need to operate at their full potential.
Who is TechSoup?
Thank you to our Webinar Sponsor!
For more information: http://bit.ly/CitrixOnlineProgram