Abstract
This paper provides detailed examinations on the use of GIS in nonprofit organizations. We interviewed planners and GIS experts in key nonprofit organizations in the City of Chicago to comprehend their actual usages of GIS, faced challenges, and accumulated experiences. Organizations reported on dozens of projects where GIS was used for practical urban planning applications. Findings indicate that nonprofit organizations offer extremely useful lessons on using GIS for projects at the local, regional, and national levels. They provide extensive experiences on GIS technical problems and solutions, methodologies, and data issues. Their projects often support philanthropic efforts and respond to the needs of low-income communities. However, the organizations’ resources are dwindling. This paper raises a concern about the importance of sustaining their GIS operations particularly with the current economic downturn. We call on government officials to support nonprofit organizations in order to ensure the continuity of their GIS activities.
Highlights
For almost a complete century, nonprofit organizations in the US have been serving communities with multiple capacities
Visuals are useful for projects’ sponsors and funders. They are helpful when the grant evaluation is due to Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) as indicated by the Active Transportation Alliance: “it is easy to compile all of the visuals and line them up for making compelling arguments...GIS helps to create a more professional and concise document when reporting to a grant funder or a board of directors,” [33]
This research provided a detailed account on the use of GIS in nonprofit organizations
Summary
For almost a complete century, nonprofit organizations in the US have been serving communities with multiple capacities They have been providing advocacy assistance, business support, and cultural services [1,2]. In a story-telling format, this paper provides detailed examinations on the use of GIS in eight nonprofit organizations in Chicago. It reports on a multitude of projects that were carried out by these organizations. Urban areas provide plenty of socio-cultural activities and services that cover daily needs such as shopping, groceries, and healthcare facilities within walking distances [18]
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