Software that makes non-profit into cartographers?

Almost all GIS tools can be used to store, analyze and market statistics to your organization and funders. They are a great way to present information in an interesting and interactive fashion.
Maps can connect residents to their own communities by challenging individuals to collect information and think critically about their neighbors and their community's needs. They can show project goals/achievements for funders and they are much easier for the average person to understand; large datasets, dry statistics and jargon-filled reports do not appeal to the average person. Many GIS tools are also available for use in Spanish, French, German and Chinese.
There are many free tools available. Those which are not free often provide discounts for non-profits and NGOs. Layering datasets onto area maps gives your projects a professional look. You can use readily available archives to create your maps (www.policymap.org ,www.dataplace.org, www.arcgis.com ,www.geocommons.com , www.nonprofitgis.org). This allows small firms to create maps without hiring expensive contractors or maintenance staff- or just use resources as a jumping off point.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Trying out ArcGIS from ESRI


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With Arc GIS you can differentiate between types of landmarks.  Landmark categories are not very inclusive, but they do allow a fair amount of info to be input into the pop-ups.

The map is both interactive and highly informative, but requires more effort than Google Fusion.  I have not found any way to plot tables of info without manually inputting each point (note: it is implied that this is possible if you buy the software rather than use the free download).


Embedding your map is simple (but slightly counter-intuitive).  First you must search the arcGIS site for your map (I suggest using keywords from you map’s title).  Next you need to open the map in the arcGIS.com viewer.  From there you can click the “share” button and the “personal website” button that follows.  The necessary html code should appear in a box.  Copy it and insert it into your blog/website.


Save often!  I accidently exited from the online version’s window and lost all the changes I made.  Just because it appears on the map doesn’t mean it’s saved!

If you are looking for more powerful mapping tools, arcGIS is your best bet.  It is more complicated than Google Fusion, but there's a lot you can do with it.  I recommend buying a beginner's book before trying to conquer the intricacies of GIS mapping.  I recommend the following book, but there are a variety of users guides available online.


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