Are nonprofits slow movers when it comes to technology? By many counts, they’ve made better use of social media than any sector – but it’s certainly true that nonprofits tend to be time-crunched and cash-strapped. That means that mission comes first. Other pursuits, like cracking the 500 page instruction manual on the latest visualization software, rarely make the list.

MapTogether.org, a great web resource offering map-related tools and training with nonprofits in mind, clearly gets it. Their latest effort, The Illustrated Guide to Nonprofit GIS & Online Mapping, is a huge contribution to the sector’s toolbox, presenting clearly and powerfully the case for mapping as a tool for nonprofits. The free, 46 page, downloadable guide is written specifically for time-crunched, cash-strapped nonprofits: it’s jargon-free, concise, readable, and full of relevant examples. If your organization has any inkling of jumping on the geospatial bandwagon, download this guide first!

Before getting to the techy stuff – in which one could easily get lost – the guide asks the first question any discerning nonprofit leader should be thinking: “What is mapping and why should my organization care?” It’s a question that’s easily buried in the hype surrounding mapping these days, and it’s answered thoroughly here in 5 parts – each fleshed out with helpful, real-world examples (See another answer in a previous post, “How Can Mapping Serve a Nonprofit?”)

It should be noted here that the guide speaks of mapping not just generally, but specifically – in the context of GIS, a formal subset of geospatial technology – which may feel a little too wonky to some. Jumping straight to GIS in the discussion of mapping approaches is one piece of the guide that might not make sense for absolute beginners, as there are more basic mapping tools out there (the guide files these other approaches under “neogeography”). That said, GIS isn’t a bad vehicle for getting at larger mapping concepts, and the guide does a tremendous job of distilling a massively complex technology down to the essentials. And this isn’t your grandmother’s guidebook – there are illustrations! Between “shapefile”, “KML” and “spatial query”, it’s easy to get lost in a thicket of jargon. But not here: the writing remains clear throughout, and the illustrations are helpful touch-points in the (slightly) more technical second and third chapters.

Chapter three is on data: where to find it, what to do with it, and what to watch out for. Dealing with data, or the raw material behind your map, can be a tedious exercise especially without a search image for what good data looks like. The guide is helpful here, outlining some practical concerns about data acquisition like availability, scope and quality, and unpacking the important differences between data formats like CSV, KML, and SHP. Note: Data formats turn out to be hugely important – and can make the difference between an elegant visualization and an Excel-driven mess! The hunt for source data could probably comprise its own guidebook, but the authors do a nice job of pointing out the various types of sources out there, from state governments to community colleges to municipalities. And they don’t miss the big kahunas when it comes to public data: data.gov, census.gov and geodata.gov. But depending on your project’s goals, mining your own organization’s data backlogs might be your best bet since the number of open source, map-ready datasets out there are still few and far-between. Fortunately, there is plenty of movement from lots of smart folks – particularly at the city level – for this to change in the near future.

The final chapter wraps with a list of some of the best mapping tools currently available, from classics like Google Maps and OpenStreetMap to the less well-known uDig and GRASS. Care is taken to note which of these are likely beyond the technical reach of beginners and which are not, but the explanations for each are brief. Maybe the MapTogether.org guys have plans for future guides on each?

Maps matter! MapTogether.org's guide is a clear and concise intro for nonprofits looking to use maps to advance mission.

As I read the final pages of the guide, I tried to imagine what I’d be thinking if I was the leader of a busy nonprofit, feeling both curious and maybe a little obligated to get on board with the recent excitement around mapping. In short, I wanted to know more. I wanted to know exactly what to do next: What should I map? How much time will it take? Will it be worth the time/cost outlay? How do I decide which of the listed resources is best for me? Are there step-by-step instructions out there for whichever tool I choose? How do I pull the Google Maps base map off Google and onto my project?

But all of this speaks to how well this guide convinces the reader that mapping is a powerful tool not to be missed – one that is likely to help you advance your mission in very real ways. I came away with clear answers about 1) what mapping is, 2) why I need it, and 3) how to start thinking about designing my first project. There’s an opportunity, I think, for follow-up guides to start getting at some of these further questions…

MapTogether.org has made an important contribution to the nonprofit toolbox. Phenomenal job guys! Please download the free guide, check out their website for a ton of other tools and resources, and leave your own comments and feedback.