News

We always enjoy sharing the indirect benefits that come out of Full Circle Fund’s engaged philanthropy model, and here’s one recently reported from Technology Circle Chair Marc Smolowitz.

In Spring 2009, a group of Members inside the Technology Circle felt very concerned that they were losing so many nonprofits to the economic downturn. They wanted to see if they could use their technology skills and professional networks to build an interactive web based geospatial, mapping, and GIS tool that could help map this issue.

With help from Sara Olsen, Amie Vacarro (also a Full Circle Fund Member) and SVT Group, the Members convened some of the best and brightest in our region to help them explore this problem, and a team of volunteers emerged to take this opportunity on.

What they found was very surprising. They discovered multiple layers and walls built around public data sets making it very difficult if not impossible for a talented team of interested volunteers to try and help. Over the course of many meetings and discussions, this lack of open data became the very focus of their project.

And together, they created a new resource: NonprofitMapping.org. Now, NonprofitMapping.org is working to transform previously inaccessible data sets into useful knowledge that can be made broadly available. By understanding how and why the sector is losing nonprofits on a zip code-by-zip code basis, they aim to provide donors, funders and philanthropists with current data that can guide their resources in ways that will have the greatest impact.

See what Philanthropy commentator Lucy Bernholz has to say about it here. Also see what Sara Olsen has written on Social Edge about this project.

“I am proud of this project because it’s useful, and because it came about through the leadership and talents of an all volunteer team.” says Marc, “But, I am also proud that it’s a direct outgrowth and value add to the community by way of Full Circle Fund, our special model, and a group of people’s unique interest in putting themselves on the task of building a new tool to support community solutions.”

Marc would like to thank the many people from a diverse set of companies and sectors who contributed to this project as well as Full Circle Fund members Zuzka Fedorkova, Amie Vaccaro, Josh Wilson, and Mike McCarthy for their help early on in getting this concept off the ground. Stay updated on the project though their Facebook page and follow them at @nonprofitmap to join the conversation.

Posted in Josh Wilson, Zuzka Fedorkova, Amie Vaccaro, Michael McCarthy, impact, Marc Smolowitz, technology