Crowdsource & Visualize Data with Ushahidi

Data is a valuable ingredient in any operation. For us non-profits, the data that we have can help us determine the type of problems we need to address, where these problems are and what kind of support is necessary.

However, with over 7.5 billion people today and more varieties of problems & concerns than we can count, managing data – let alone finding data – has turned into as much of a challenge as developing and determining our responses to it.

Enter our new donor partner, Ushahidi. Directly translating to “Testimony” in Swahili, Ushahidi is an opensource platform that allows you to collect data through crowdsourcing, while also allowing you to organize data into a variety of visualizations.

Today, all qualified non-profits can request for special Ushahidi subscriptions through TechSoup.

Introducing Ushahidi

Unlike most data visualization tools though, what sets Ushahidi apart is its ability to allow you to gather relevant information through crowdsourcing; tapping into various forms of communication including emails, tweets & even SMS.

This particular feature becomes very handy should your organization currently lack relevant data or are in the process of mapping the impact of certain calamities or such.

In addition to its crowdsourcing capabilities, Ushahidi also allows you to arrange & visualize these reports into maps & lists. Allowing you to easily manage & understand potentially large chunks of data coming from a variety of respondents.

Applications of Ushahidi

With Ushahidi’s capacity to crowdsource, this new donated product will be particularly relevant to organizations who are engaged in mapping various social problems, disaster response and the like, or should your organization be consistently involved in data gathering exercises within communities.

For inspiration, you can browse through various applications of Ushahidi here, which include a variety of initiatives that range from election monitoring to disaster response.

Ushahidi for Nonprofits

If your non-profit is interested in requesting Ushahidi, both the Responder and Surveyor products are now available through TechSoup for a minimal admin fee.

Should you want to learn more about the specific features of these products, you may learn more here

To request for these special non-profit subscriptions, just click here