Map a Whole World of Giving

The Foundation Center has announced the launch of its "new data visualization platform for global philanthropy," Philanthropy In/Sight, which allows users to create maps of philanthropic activity.

The tool, which combines the Center's massive database of information on grants and grantmakers with Google's mapping tools, is aimed at grantmakers, policy makers and researchers, though anyone who's interested in philanthropy's impact should give it a look. The tool's aim is to help users "better understand the impact of philanthropy around the world," which it does by displaying giving patterns, funding relationships, areas where philanthropy is making a difference and those where needs still exist.

Philanthropy In/Sight is interactive, allowing users to craft specific maps of grantmakers and grants and also providing the ability to layer on demographic and other relevant data. Next time you're gloomy and wondering where the good in the world is, take a look at the thousands of dots carpeting the map of all the grantmakers and recipients in the United States (on display in the first page of the demo).

What to see more? Get a free trial courtesy of Sean Stannard-Stockton via the blog Tactical Philathropy.

Photo courtesy of pardeshi via creativecommons.org