WRAG's Foundation Map has launched! Click here to explore the map. Read on to learn how to get involved with this exciting initiative.
Imagine being able to see who is funding what and where -- anywhere in the Greater Washington region, with just a few clicks.
Access to accurate and up-to-date data is critical to understanding the funding landscape and ensuring that giving is as effective as it can be. In partnership with the Foundation Center and the United Philanthropy Forum, WRAG invites our members to Get on the Map to improve the quality, timeliness, and availability of grant data — for and about funders in our region. It all starts with you—sharing your current grants data.
If I share my data, what's in it for me?
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Participating Funders:
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When you share your data, you’ll be making a powerful contribution to Foundation Maps, a highly interactive, searchable mapping platform from Foundation Center that will visualize members' grantmaking in the Greater Washington region and be accessible to all (and only) WRAG members.
But, it’s all about participation. Only when our community of funders commits to sharing data will the Foundation Maps platform reach its full potential as a powerful source of accurate, up-to-date answers to questions like…
- Who else is funding the arts in our region?
- What organizations are working on housing affordability in Arlington County?
- Who is working with Latino communities in Montgomery County?
- Where are there gaps in funding toward veterans?
- How much money is collectively going to education in our region?
As a thank you for sharing your data, you’ll also get access to a custom version of Foundation Maps that reflects your individual organization’s grantmaking activity.
How do I get on the map?
There are just two steps to submitting your grants data using the eGrant format.
1. Export a complete list of your most recent grants in Excel.
Most grants management software platforms offer a pre-formatted export function that pulls the necessary data into an Excel file automatically. To find video instructions for your platform, click here.
If you don’t use one of the listed software systems, simply export a complete list of your most recently-awarded grants into the Foundation Center's Excel template.
Click here for information on the fields included in the eReporting standard.
2. Email your report to egrants@foundationcenter.org.
Get on the map today! Click here for more information on how to share your data.
Watch this webinar recording for more information about the e-reporting process and a demo of the Foundation Maps platform.
FOUNDANT USERS: Check out this webinar recording to learn how Foundant can help you get on the map.
Read what others are saying about Get on the Map:
Patricia Mathews, Northern Virginia Health Foundation:
"As a health funder, it is critical for us to understand how our investments intersect with our colleagues’ funding toward other issues that impact the health and wellness of Northern Virginians, like housing affordability, education, and the environment. WRAG’s Foundation Map will be an important tool in our efforts to align our grantmaking in support of creating healthier communities."
Sari Raskin, The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia:
"The value of this tool is directly proportional to the amount of data it contains. We urge all WRAG members to participate by e-reporting their grants data to the Foundation Center. It’s a bit of work on the front end that will pay dividends in the future as we all work to more strategically invest in our communities. We know that greater impact can be achieved if we work together as funders!"
Eileen Ellsworth, The Community Foundation for Northern Virginia:
"Not only will this powerful tool shine a light on philanthropy trends in the region and help us to guide our future work, but it will also help us more strategically target and coordinate grant dollars to support the greatest needs in the region.”
Lori Jackson, Alexander and Margaret Stewart Trust:
"Having immediate and easy access to my WRAG colleagues’ grantmaking data – and their having access to our data – will help make it easier to find out who else is funding our grantees and potential grantees, and to identify possible new areas of funding alignment or collaboration."
Ben Murphy, Greater Washington Community Foundation:
"Having timely data on philanthropy in the region will help us be more strategic in our grantmaking, helping us see where great work is already happening and may be primed for partnership opportunities. I’m also excited that it will help demonstrate the impact and reach of CFNCR’s and our donors’ funding in communities around the region!"
Tamara Copeland, Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers:
"WRAG’s Foundation Map will help inform your work – as foundation CEOs, CSR professionals, program officers, or grants managers. With a few clicks, you will be able to scan the local philanthropic landscape for detailed information about who else in the WRAG community is funding your grantees or prospective grantees. You will be able to find out who else is funding in a similar issue area or targeting a particular population, and what other nonprofits are working in the same space. You will be able to identify funding gaps, trends, and new opportunities for collaboration or funding alignment. The Foundation Map will serve as the information backbone to this community."