Problem:  It’s very competitive out there in terms of getting grants and donations – how can we make our program or organization more compelling to funders?

Solution:   GIS can help distinguish your work from others’. Simply using good maps of the places you are active can allow a potential funder to quickly grasp your issue. Maps can also show threats or changes in your community, conveying greater urgency in addressing your concerns (a map of specific crime incidents within a neighborhood can open eyes much faster than a table or a paragraph of explanation). Finally, GIS can help you organize your program proposals into projects that have measurable objectives – and it can help you track and demonstrate your effectiveness at meeting those objectives.

Some examples of using GIS to help raise funds:

• Commitments to Save Open Space (right, top):  Greenbelt Alliance works to protect open space in the San Francisco Bay region. They have used this map to support foundation grant applications they are requesting in support of their urban program which encourages policies that improve the quality of existing urban areas.
  
  
• Mapping the Living History of Downtown Los Angeles (right, middle):   Groups looking to persuade funders of the need to invest in preserving the historical heritage of downtown Los Angeles are using a GreenInfo-created map to make their point. Commissioned by the City Project of the Center for Law in the Public Interest this map shows contemporary sites of importance (Pershing Square, Union Station, Dodger Stadium, etc.) together with older sites, all overlaid on an aerial photo. The map of the Heritage Parkway has been taken all the way to the east coast to inform persons unfamiliar with the area of its historic value, and it has sparked conversation on potential new sites for parks and open space, as well as illustrating the need for more parks and recreation areas.
  
  
• Fundraising Map (right bottom): As part of an overall campaign to raise funds for acquisition, GreenInfo Network prepared this brochure map for the Muir Heritage Land Trust.
  
  
• Program Brochure (bottom left):  The Placer Land Trust uses this simple, GreenInfo Network-created brochure to educate landowners in the Bear River area of Placer County. The map and photos combine with the text to make a case for voluntary donation of development rights.
  
  
• Research Members (bottom right): Assess organization members for contribution levels, to help in deciding how to frame new appeals