Nonprofit-Centric Data Sharing Sites

[Editor's note: The following is from the December 2012 issue of NTEN:Change, NTEN's quarterly journal for nonprofit leaders. Read the complete issue on "Collaboration" when you subscribe to the journal for free!]

Data sharing has become a critical part of collaboration and will continue to do so as we are able to access and create more data. There are many sites that allow you to upload data, as well as download other data, for free. These are just a handful of nonprofit-focused data sharing sites to get you started:

• National Center for Charitable Statistics: NCCS provides data, as well as analysis tools and reports, on Nonprofits around the US. You can learn about other organizations in your area, analyze giving trends, and download data directly from their site.

• Data.gov: Data.gov provides public access to datasets generated by the Federal Government. The site hosts a wealth of data searchable by agency, category, topic, or geographically. You can filter the raw data, RSS feeds of the data, charts, maps, or even widgets made of the data. From the Open Government section of the site, there are links to access other government data sites for specific US states, cities, countries, and agencies, as well as 35 international open data sites.

• GuideStar: GuideStar gathers and publicizes information about nonprofit organizations. Hosting a database of nonprofit information including mission, programs, leaders, goals, accomplishments, and needs, GuideStar allows users to search for specific nonprofits, analyze data, and update their own organization’s file.

• Socrata: Their open data platform is a gathering place for shared data – find data sets or upload and share data from a project, research, or regarding your cause in your community – from water quality to voting records to school attendance.

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