Problem:  How can we be more effective at targeting the places at which we are aiming our efforts?

Solution:  GIS can be used to better understand the neighborhoods and other communities that public interest organizations seek to serve or protect, and can greatly aid in setting more effective priorities, as well as depicting site-based information. For instance, if a childcare program is looking to invest funds in training providers, GIS can locate existing child care centers which can then be rated by their needs. This information can then be related to the number of children within a particular distance of each center, to determine an overall cost-efficiency ratio for the needed investments. 

Groups that use GIS for program planning include health clinics, child services providers, housing advocates, community development corporations, emergency food and other service providers, and many more. 

Examples of using GIS to target program and service needs:

• First 5/San Mateo County (top right) - Many California counties have a commission that focuses on the first five years of childhood, aiming to improve education and parenting for these children. This map is part of an analytical series done to help understand key factors, in this case the relationship between low performing schools and the prevalence of poverty.
  
  
• California Food Policy Advocates (middle right) – CFPA works to ensure that all people get the food they need. A key program is providing access in the summer to lunches and other meals provided to kids during the school year. GreenInfo has developed maps showing food suppliers and needy populations, to help CFPA coordinate its programs.
  
  
• East Bay Housing Organization (lower right ) – A housing advocacy organization, EBHO has worked to protect renters from unfair evictions in the City of Oakland. Concerned about the growing number of reported no-cause evictions in the city, the map was used to illustrate where these evictions have occurred and to create momentum for the successful campaign to implement just cause protections for tenants.
  
  
• Partnership for the Public’s Health (right bottom) – Supported by grants from The California Endowment and other funders, PPH makes grants to particular communities for place-based strategies designed to improve public health, especially local public health departments and the communities they serve. After major mapping efforts supporting The California Endowment in designing the program, GreenInfo was asked by PPH to develop a number of maps, including this one showing the organizational landscape of its granting program.
  
  
• PACE – Policy Analysis for California Education (below) – Affiliated with UC Berkeley, PACE has conducted extensive research into childcare supply and demand relationships. This map shows the relationship between the supply of child care providers and the extent of population growth.