An enthusiastic "Heck Yeah!" for the recent CNET Blog Post: "Should "open source" include open data?" In the post, author Matt Asay says:

I'm not speaking for the Open Source Initiative here, but to me this makes it critical to add open data provisions to the Open Source Definition. Why? Because open source that locks down one's data is not all that open, in the grand scheme of things.

Amen! But let's take it a step further. There are several big pieces to the vendor lock-in puzzle, and none of them are the exclusive domain of open source solutions.

Briefly, what is MAPLight.org?

MAPLight.org is a groundbreaking web site that brings together all campaign contributions given to legislators with how every legislator votes on a given bill. We illuminate the connections between money and politics, providing unprecedented information to enable advocacy groups and citizens to hold legislators accountable. The “MAP” in MAPLight.org stands for “Money And Politics.” For a 6-minute overview of the site, see our Video Tour.

Where did the idea that became MAPLight.org originate?

As a political volunteer, I was frustrated with the uphill battle that issue-oriented nonprofits and community groups fight against big-money special-interests. I saw the tremendous influence of campaign contributions on government, but when I explained these connections to others who did not yet see them, the examples were not good enough and there was too much hand-waving. I decided to build a website that illuminates the specific connections between campaign money and the specific issues people care about.

Troy Anderson, Dataplace

Data doesn't kill people, people kill people. And yet, more lives are affected by data than guns: data determines how many Congress people represent you (unless you live in DC) and often how much money your state gets; data is one of the primary things (some say the only thing) that determines your mortgage interest rate; and data is often the last refuge of a specious argument.

With data so important these days, you'd better have some or you'll get left out, competed away, or find yourself unable to prove anything to anyone. Miss providing data and you'll miss out on money or opportunities for you, your organization, or your community.

The problem with data, as it currently exists in federal agencies and web sites, is that it's very difficult to use despite being very relevant, down to a neighborhood level. Interviewing people who try to make use of this data is sobering: "We used to spend a thousand hours a year processing HMDA data for our local community." "We have to pay through the nose to get good neighborhood level reports on data that's otherwise 'free'." "Why can't free data be free?"

As part of the Fannie Mae Foundation, we used to get many grant requests for data analysis equipment or services and for thousand dollar neighborhood market reports. Yet, often, what grantees really needed was free use of free data. Enter DataPlace. DataPlace makes understanding community statistics easy with tools such as rankings, charts, histograms, and maps that use the free federal statistics presented through an easy-to-use interface.

Mary Anne Hitt, Appalachian Voices

Anyone who has ever flown in a small aircraft over southern West Virginia or eastern Kentucky to view mountaintop removal coal mining first-hand can never forget the experience of seeing the massive scale of destruction—mountain after mountain blown up and dumped into valleys as far as the eye can see. People working to stop mountaintop removal have long dreamed of flying thousands of people over the Appalachian coal fields, but the logistics of that endeavor proved daunting.

As an alternative, Appalachian Voices turned to Google Earth. In the past, we took reporters and decision-makers on day-long tours, first flying over the coal fields and then driving through coal field communities to hear first-hand accounts from local residents. Today, a good approximation of that tour is accessible to anyone with a computer, a high-speed internet connection, and Google Earth, extending the reach of Appalachian Voices by millions of people.

Edwin Bender, National Institute on Money in State Politics

From immigration legislation to energy and environmental reforms, campaign finance data can provide unadulterated insight into the strategies of the forces behind legislation and electoral strategies. The examples of how data can be used to educate the public on important public-policy issues are numerous:

• During the 2005 election season in Virginia, Dominion—a Virginia-based energy company—and its subsidiary, Dominion Virginia Power, gave campaign contributions to lawmakers who would later vote on a critical energy re-regulation bill that the company helped author. Since 1999, the company gave $2.2 million to state-level politics. The giving peaked in 2005 when state politicians and parties received nearly $707,000. The legislation sought by the company passed.

A picture is worth a thousand words, but, if you use it right, it might also be worth the life you change or the next donation you receive. The nonprofit sector is steeped in data, but rattling of statistics doesn't articulate the need for or impact of your work. For that, you need a picture.

GIS (Geographic Information Systems) data mapping is one of the best ways to add impact to your information. Resources include DataPlace, which offers a free set of online GIS tools tied to reliable data sources like the U.S. Census Bureau. In NTEN's upcoming webinar, we will show how nonprofit organizations use GIS mapping to make their case to funders and other stakeholders. Case studies include:

• Food banks needing to demonstrate to funders that they are offering services in the right areas.
• Advocacy organizations using elections data to strategize for the next campaign.
• Local community development corporations wanting to determine whether the funding and services they provide to smaller organizations are reaching the areas where their target population lives.

Data takes on meaning only when you use it effectively. Join us on Tuesday, June 19th and add another tool to your kit.

Presented by Troy Anderson, DataPlace

> Register Now!