Help us Build the Map
We want to give the full picture of democracy in America, including nonprofit groups, for-profit organizations, and groups that are part of larger networks, associations, and institutions.
You can help us by adding organizations or networks, filling in data on those groups, and correcting errors.
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Volunteer
Give your time and energy to help an organization you believe in. Explore the map to find your choice.
Donate
Make financial contributions, large or small, to an organization or to help build the Map.
Endorse
Show that you support an organization — join their newsletter, ‘like’ on social media, or share their work.
Connect and Collaborate
Reach out to organizations and propose ways to collaborate and amplify each other’s work.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Where does the data come from?
Our database is categorized by different types and goals of democracy work. The database includes non-profit organizations, philanthropic funders, coalitions, campus centers, private companies, and other groups. Our team compiled and cultivated this growing list of organizations from a variety of formal and informal data sources, including existing field surveys, network membership rosters, expert references, and independent research.
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Will there be a way for external groups/people to contribute to the map?
Yes. We already have a submission form that people can use to submit data on their organization. We also envision a regular process by which people are notified that their organization has been added to the list, and inviting them to look at the data and suggest corrections, changes, or additions.
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How will the data be updated to ensure accuracy and how often? What does long-term maintenance look like?
Keeping the data updated and accurate is a major project priority. We are partnering with other organizations and initiatives to create a single dataset that can be used for mapping, research, and development. This work will likely include: a) scheduling regular data imports from IRS 990 filings; b) providing ways for groups to submit additions, edits, and updates, including the existing data form we have distributed; c) keeping tabs on network sites and maintaining relationships with network leaders; and d) continually surveying the field and manually adding new organizations and data.
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Is the impact of an organization’s work a factor? How is this mapped?
We are not collecting impact measures for organizations. The Map provides a stepping stone for that kind of research and evaluation, including “collective impact” approaches that assess the outcomes of work by a set of organizations on a particular issue or area. We are currently focused on gathering the data about where organizations are located, what they are doing, how they are supported financially, and how they are connected.
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How are organizations on the map located? What does that location signify? It matters if it signifies their headquarters vs. area of impact.
Most of the dots on the map represent the physical address an organization provided on their IRS tax filing. Our team has been going through the data to identify which groups are chapters vs. headquarters, etc., and we hope to incorporate a legend and filters for that data into the final visualization. We also have a separate data point to identify any organization’s “reach” – i.e. whether they work on a national, regional, and/or local scale.
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Some organizations have fiscal sponsors (are not independent 501c3s). Did you take this into account in the mapping process?
Yes, we have been doing our best to gather data about groups that are not 501c3s – most of these are either for-profit organizations, chapters of national organizations, or centers or institutes based at universities. Because they do not file 990s, it is harder to get financial information about them, but we are incorporating as many as we can.
Request Data and Research
If you’re looking for specific Healthy Democracy Ecosystem (HDE) categories of organizations in select states, the HDE team can supply you with a curated data set. If you’re looking for more detailed information on specific HDE networks, types of civic infrastructure and democratic innovations, the HDE team will work closely with your organization to design and carry out a research agenda. In addition, the HDE team can assist with leveraging Map data to help organizations refine their public engagement strategy and evaluation.
