Data Visualization for Everyone

This post was written by Andrew Hill on behalf of the Case Foundation:

If your nonprofit is looking to make maps with your data, or just wants to update some of your existing maps—your timing is perfect. It has never been easier to turn data into an interactive map to better inform and engage your readers.

The open source community is actively working together to make mapping tools more mainstream. For almost three years now, the team at CartoDB has been creating a platform that is not only accessible, but also a force for good. CartoDB is a hosted mapping service designed to help people create maps from their data. Today, many nonprofits are using our tool to add interactive maps to their websites and to communicate their work and their findings through their blogs and social media.

The focus of the service is simplicity. Our goal is to address many of the obstacles that have traditionally stood in the way of creating interactive maps online. For example, we have removed the need for any desktop software and tried to support many of the data formats that people are already working with in the day-to-day, including spreadsheets and CSVs.

For our part, we have been building projects like Torque and Odyssey.js to help you make maps in totally new and interesting ways. Nonprofits and other organizations are quickly taking advantage of this progress.

Beyond technological advances, it has also become abundantly clear that nonprofits can tap into the power of maps to communicate complex ideas. Unlike charts and graphs, people seem to have a willingness to explore and to try and understand complex data when summarized neatly on a map. Projects like Global Forest Watch and Food Security Map are making important data accessible through simple and well-designed interfaces.

Here are three tips to help you get started if you’re interested in turning data into a map.

1. Tell a story – While data visualization can be well designed and engaging on the surface, your work will have far greater impact if you integrate it more fully and use it to tell a meaningful and clear story.

2. Don’t be afraid of errors – Data is almost never perfect, but that doesn’t mean you have to let that hold you back from putting it out in the world. Sure, you’ll want to make it clear if you think your data might contain discrepancies, but if you do it openly you’ll be surprised how many people want to help make it better.

3. Iterate – You are rarely going to get it right the first time when it comes to data visualization, and even when you do things change. Think of data visualization and mapping as an ongoing process. Take time after you’ve posted to make your designs better, refine your story and improve the application of technology.

So what are you waiting for? The moment is right and the reasons are clear on why you should start experimenting with data visualization. Have a map or data visualization tip to share? Please post in the comments or tell us on Twitter @CaseFoundation.

Commencement Address to the Graduates of the Lilly School of Philanthropy

Below is a transcript of Jean Case’s remarks to graduates at the Indiana University Lilly School of Philanthropy commencement ceremony, delivered May 11, 2014.

Thank you, all. And thank you, Dean Tempel, for this great honor you’ve conferred on me today.

On this happy and hopeful occasion, it is truly my delight to be here with you at Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis… the school with the most letters in its name… and the most talented women and men of letters to its name.

To the graduates, friends, family, fathers I say congratulations. And – especially today, of all days – to my fellow moms: I can’t think of a better – or more fitting – Mother’s Day gift than you are receiving today. Congratulations to you and Happy Mother’s Day!

So, graduates, if I were sitting in your seat right now I’d be thinking: what is she going to say today that will really matter anyway? Well, it might surprise you to learn that the subject I want to talk you about today is simply the subject of “Normal.” Really.

What do I mean by that? Well to start with, I’m kind of uniquely qualified to talk about this topic since I was born in a small college town in the state right next door – in a place called, Normal, Illinois. But I left Normal in 1971 at the age of 11, and some who know me joke that I’ve been trying to get back to “Normal” ever since.

But seriously, knowing as well as I do that I’m standing in the nation’s center of excellence in philanthropy here at Indiana University… an institution we at the Case Foundation look to for data, for analysis, and leadership… it is clear to me that by choosing to study here you have already set your sights abnormally and exceptionally high.

So … what I want to talk to you about today is setting those sights on redefining “Normal” for the 21st Century and just maybe for all time.

Your area of study, focus, and hopefully passion – that of philanthropy – simply could not be more important. Why? Because the traditional models are broken. The old way of doing things no longer works. To address today’s daunting challenges that dog our communities and our planet, we need to retool, rethink and reinvent.

It’s time for us to be bold… to act with urgency… and to resist the tendency to let caution be our guide.

In short, as we go about addressing the world’s most daunting challenges, it’s time for us to Be Fearless.

To that end, I want to pass on to you five principles – hallmarks of the most effective social movements and transformative breakthroughs of our time.

At the Case Foundation, we try to incorporate them into everything we do… at every level of our organization.

To us, these five principles define what it means to be fearless and effective social innovators.

So no matter what you do next or where you land – whether you join a foundation, work in the government or nonprofit sectors, or perhaps passionately pursue change through a business or entrepreneurial effort – I firmly believe these principles can apply to drive impact and lead us closer to a new and more effective “Normal.”

Principle #1: Let urgency conquer fear.

If you’re anything like me, you feel deeply what Martin Luther King, Jr., called “the fierce urgency of now.”

And you – better than anyone – understand exactly what Bono meant when he said, “That’s not a cause. That’s an emergency.”

I challenge you to consider your own big idea, and become the activist committed to urgently setting it in motion.

You never know when these moments might come. Consider Nigeria today: a very, very dangerous place. A place where the rule of law is all-too-absent and literally thousands of citizens have been brutalized and killed. To speak up or speak out is to risk your life. Yet there was something about the abduction of a few hundred school girls by extremists that caused Nigerians – most of them women – to let urgency conquer fear and take to the streets in protest and to appeal for help in finding the girls and stopping the madness. Now governments around the world have responded, a Twitter campaign with the hashtag “#BringBackOurGirls” has gone viral across nations. The issue of slavery and human trafficking is being talked about in the halls of Congress, in homes and in schools, and the world is waking up. In writing about what is happening in Nigeria, a piece in the Economist ran with a subhead: “Patience is not a virtue.” And CNN quoted a parent who simply said: “We cannot let this be the new normal.”

There is nothing stopping you from assuming that same urgent mindset right now on things you care about. It is the crucial first step every great social innovator ever took.

So don’t overthink. Don’t overanalyze. Do… and start doing right now as you leave this place.

Principle #2: Make big bets and make history.

When I talked about defining your own “big” idea, I meant it.

If humanity is to meet intractable challenges like homelessness, illiteracy and climate change, incremental efforts won’t do the trick. Your goal must be absolute audaciousness. It was President Kennedy who said, “We go to the moon not because it is easy, but because it is hard,” at a time when our nation was utterly unprepared to do so. Less than decade later, we landed men on the moon and returned them safely to earth. Today at Google they are highly focused on what they call “moonshots” – audacious ideas that can benefit at least a billion people. What is your “moonshot” and how will you keep it in your crosshairs as you go forth?

Principle #3: Reach beyond your bubble and take risks.

Today, you are leaving the world where there is a business school over there… social sciences over there… and philanthropy here. A world where people are separated by their interests and passions. Tomorrow, these divisions can evaporate.

Innovation often happens at the intersections between organizations… between committed people who bring differing backgrounds, skillsets and their own unique perspectives.

So consider every opportunity to learn from and grow alongside people who come from other industries… other backgrounds… other geographies. Ask yourself, who is not at this table and whose voice isn’t being heard or which ideas are not being considered as you tackle big problems.

Consider how powerful it could be for you to collaborate with an MBA grad to start a social enterprise to make sure every person in the world has access to clean water… or a public policy grad to make sure no one has to sleep on the street in your community again.

The truth is, you don’t need to join a foundation to do the work of changing the world.

You can be a changemaker in a corporate environment. Help steer their products and services. Or help start a new business that brings benefit to the world’s poorest populations.

You can advise an investment fund. Help analysts find companies or bonds that bring a social benefit… while growing their portfolios.

It will be up to you to take the concepts and methods you learned here… to bring your skills and experience to bear… and see philanthropy through every lens and make sure every sector is part of the solution.

Principle #4: Take risks. Experiment early and often.

In Silicon Valley, the common practice is to create a “minimum viable product.” The idea being, don’t wait for perfect. Get started, put stuff out there, see what works, refine it, measure what happens or how people respond, change it and learn along the way how to bring excellence.

If we agree old models are broken, then we need to innovate. And if we are going to innovate, we must take risk, try new things. Don’t be afraid to go first. Don’t wait for the perfect solution you wish you had.

Believe me: it can get messy along the way. And that’s exactly the way it should be.

Principle #5: Make failure matter.

A born-and-bred Midwesterner, Minister Robert Schuller raised the question: “What would you do if you knew you could not fail?”

You’ve already accomplished so much and have so much to be proud of. So it falls on me to encourage you to start failing on the road forward.

It was Thomas Edison who said, “I haven’t failed. I’ve just found 10,000 things that don’t work.”

Simply put, if you are innovating, you are taking risks. If you are taking risks, you will experience failure. Failure teaches. Learn from it. If it happens, fail fast, fail forward and use the experience to get closer to what WILL work.

At the Case Foundation, we expect to have a few failures in the things we set out to do – not because we like to – and we don’t — but because it is proof that our goals have met the minimum required levels of audaciousness. If we simply sail through everything without bumps, mistakes or failures along the way, we think we aren’t trying hard enough to bring transformative change.

So when I say “be fearless,” I also mean feel free to fail. Because failure means you’re getting somewhere.

So in closing, I just want to say, there is no GPS to your future. But if I could reprogram Siri for you, I’d have you hold the home key and have her remind you of the five Be Fearless principles: let urgency conquer fear … set audacious goals… reach beyond your bubble … experiment and take risks… and if you fail, fail forward.

These are the hallmarks of the transformative breakthroughs that have benefited society.

These are the principles you can combine with the concepts and methods you have learned here.

I firmly believe they will help you converse and collaborate, and create a new and better “Normal” in the world – one that benefits humanity and dignifies all people.

Put them in your tool box. And then, put them to work.

Because there’s simply no time to spare. Where some see a cause, you here at the nation’s first School of Philanthropy see an emergency.

So be the first responder. Bring your biggest ideas. And above all – be fearless.

If the progress you make tomorrow can match the promise you have today, I firmly believe that your generation will become the next Greatest Generation.

Thank you. Congratulations Class of 2014. And now go change the world!

Congratulations, Doctor Case!

It’s that time of year – the time for celebrating big accomplishments, for starting new chapters and thinking about what’s next on the way to our big dreams. That’s right, graduation season is upon us, and we want to extend a big congratulations to all the 2014 graduates!

This year is particularly exciting for us at the Case Foundation – as our own Jean Case will receive an honorary doctorate from the Indiana University Lilly School of Philanthropy. Jean will be honored at the commencement ceremonies for Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) this Sunday, May 11. More than 30,000 students from 122 countries call IUPUI home, including students at the Lilly School, the nation’s first school for philanthropy.

To commemorate this special achievement, the team has shared their thoughts on Jean’s role as our fearless leader. As CEO of the Foundation she continually reminds us to keep learning and growing in all that we do. We can’t wait to start calling her Doctor Case!

Congratulations, Jean!

  • Sarah – Jean inspires me through her humility and transparency. She is able to simultaneously be a strong leader, while also respecting the strong team that she has developed. She is able to articulate the good and the difficult stories of how the foundation has gotten to where it is today. That takes guts and FEARLESSNESS.
  • Allie – Jean has inspired me to take to heart the Be Fearless principle, “let urgency conquer fear.” A great boss, and more importantly, a great mentor, Jean has encouraged me to seize opportunities and has believed in me along every step of the way.
  • Louise – Jean inspires me by how she continually ‘reaches beyond the bubble’ as we like to say at the Case Foundation. She is a friend to all, embracing folks who hold differing opinions with respect and civility. Because of her genuine care she is able to be a great force in bringing people together to find better solutions to the world’s problems. It’s a wonderful reminder that we can go further if we go together.
  • Dave – Jean has taught me that you can learn and grow from your failures, just as much, or maybe even more than your successes.
  • Emily – Jean has a curiosity about here that is contagious and always inspires me to go the extra mile.
  • Molly – During my time at the Case Foundation I have learned so much from Jean. One important lesson that she has taught me is that you shouldn’t be afraid to speak up and voice your opinion.
  • Sean – What inspires me about Jean is her remarkable amount of confidence when speaking to large groups and her ability to command respect and attention when she walks into a room. It is easily apparent that she is genuine in all settings, and I believe that her honest, genuine and respectful nature is a big contributing factor to her ability to work toward finding new solutions to big problems with people of all faiths, political beliefs and backgrounds.
  • Erich – Jean has been an inspiration to me to have the confidence to become a subject matter “enthusiast” in as many areas of interest that I can. I have not had been around another individual that can retain and process as much information and provide salient thoughts at the drop of a dime. I want to be more like Jean in her ability to speak with confidence and sincerity on so many subjects.
  • Brian – Jean is fearless leader who is absolutely passionate about the use of new ideas and technologies to change the world! She challenges us to take risks – while constantly reminding us to expect some failures along the way to great successes. I am constantly amazed by her tireless energy and drive. These are just a few of the MANY ways that she inspires me on a daily basis.

 

 

Have a fearless graduate in your life who inspires you? Please share their story with us on Twitter by using @CaseFoundation.

Milken Global Conference Recap: Impact Investing Gains Steam

Last week, the Case Foundation team, including our founders, Steve and Jean Case, had the pleasure of participating in the 17th Annual Milken Institute Global Conference with more than 3,000 investors, policymakers philanthropists, and thought leaders from around the globe.

We were particularly struck by the momentum and buzz around impact investing at the conference. Jean and Steve joined CNBC live for a short discussion on the topic, and shared their thoughts into the potential for impact investing to move from a niche concept to a mainstream investing strategy. The room was packed for the panel, “Investing for Impact: What’s in Your Portfolio?” featuring Jean Case, and moderated by Matthew Bishop from the Economist. Double bottom-line innovators, including Tracy Palandjian (Social Finance), En Lee (LGT Venture Philanthropy), and Michael Schlein (Accion), also joined the panel the growth of social capital and shared more on their efforts and early successes. Impact Investing was also the source of great conversations in a number of other forums, from hallway discussions to formal dinners, and the growing interest in the space from this important group of conference-goers was apparent.

While at the conference, we also released a draft of our Short Guide to Impact Investing, under the leadership of our Entrepreneur in Residence, Sean Greene. The guide is designed to help investors – including high-net-worth individuals, foundations, family offices and others – explore the impact investing market and help guide their decisions as they hope to move towards investing that incorporates intent, measurement and transparency when it comes to generating both financial and social returns. We’re currently accepting public comments on the draft, and we thank the many of you who have already given us tremendous feedback that will help sharpen and improve the guide before we publish the final version in the coming months.

In addition to impact investing, Jean and Steve had the opportunity to take the stage to discuss other topics they’re passionate about. Jean joined some of the world’s most innovative philanthropists for the panel discussion, “Philanthropy Now: Prizes, Purpose, and People.” Moderated by the Templeton Foundation’s Jim Pitkofsky and also featuring Australian philanthropist Andrew Forrest, Tsitsi Masiyiwa of Zimbabwe’s Higher Life Foundation, Dick Merkin of the Heritage Provider Network and Faster Cures, and George Weiss, the panelists shared their own experiences on innovating in philanthropy through a number of approaches, including prizes and challenges. The Case Foundation was an early experimenter in prizes and competitions in philanthropy, beginning with the Make It Your Own Awards, which was widely acknowledged as the first time a foundation has allowed the public to play a role in grantmaking decisions. The panel also featured a lively discussion on incorporating the principles that made one successful in business to their philanthropic endeavors.

Our chairman, Steve Case, joined Salesforce.com CEO Marc Benioff and tech entrepreneur and academic Vivek Wadhwa for a panel on “Adjusting to the Tech Revolution: Surfing the Wave or Swept Away?” moderated by Dennis Kneale. In a spirited conversation, they examined how industries and consumers navigate the tech revolution as it snowballs through all aspects of society, from our personal lives to business and banking, health, education, transportation and communication.

Steve also joined Bonin Bough (Mondelez International), Ryan Kavanaugh (Relativity Media) and Lynn Tilton (Patriarch Partners) to guest judge a fast pitch competition, hosted by Daniel Gorfine of the Milken Institute. Companies judged included Nightingale, Immudicon, VirtualU, Sension, and Skip. In this first-ever Milken Institute-Kairos Society pitch competition, student entrepreneurs from each company pitched their concepts in front of a packed, pressure-filled theater. Congratulations to Catalin Voss, selected by the audience as the winner of the competition.

Watch Jean and Steve’s panels and the pitch competition from the Milken Global Conference online at the links below. Check out more from the Milken Institute online HERE.

Are You a Member of Team BT?

There are certain people in life that we are lucky enough to meet and who make an impact on our lives. For me, common among all of those people who have made an indelible mark on my life is a courageousness and spirit that is truly infectious. They make us wonder why we are not out doing more and they inspire us to look inward and challenge ourselves to face the world with fewer limitations—to be more fearless.

BethAnn Telford of Team BT is one of these unique individuals who I will never forget. She has been surviving with a brain tumor for nearly 10 years. During that time she has pushed herself well beyond limits that would hold most of us back. In October of 2012, she completed the IRONMAN World Championship triathlon in Kona, HI. She earned her coveted spot through the Kona Inspired program, which selects only seven deserving athletes each year.

Our staff is truly inspired by her story and her dedication to the children who are living with brain cancer, with whom she makes a point to befriend and engage continuously. I saw her for the first time a year ago at the 2013 Washington, DC, Race for Hope — the annual run/walk hosted in the spring by Accelerate Brain Cancer Cure and the National Brian Tumor Society to raise money for brain cancer research. She addressed the crowd at the starting line and did a wonderful job of energizing the crowd and reminding everyone why we were there on that chilly morning.

More recently, I met her in person and listened first hand to her tell her amazing story of triumph over her diagnosis. I had the opportunity to get her insight into what being fearless means and how she incorporates fearlessness into her role as a leader and advocate.

Case Foundation: What do you think it means to Be Fearless?

BethAnn Telford: To me, being fearless means challenging yourself to push your boundaries, regardless of your circumstances, and not setting limitations on what you believe you can accomplish.

CF: What role can people play in highlighting and championing fearless approaches in their community and own personal life?

BT: I think people can draw strength and inspiration from others in their community and work hard to be role models and to inspire others in everything they do. Part of that is supporting all of the amazing people who do good in the world, beginning with those in your local community and trying not to only focus attention on the current fad or celebrity.

CF: What can other leaders in the community, like you, incorporate in their thinking to travel on a fearless path? What is your piece of advice to leaders and/or others who have been affected by brain cancer?

BT: Continue to fight as hard as you can to find a cure and never give up! Science and medicine have made tremendous strides over the last decade or two and we can help accelerate that progress. Hopefully, we will look back at this time and know that we did all we could to find a cure for all of those suffering with this disease.

CF: Can you describe a recent challenge or struggle you encountered and how you approached it?

BT: Recently, a bunch of my friends introduced me to Cross Fit. Because of my brain cancer, my coordination is not quite what it once was in my youth, and I struggle sometimes to properly perform the movements and techniques required. Luckily I am stubborn and refuse to give up, so even though it is difficult for me, I stick with it, and know that I will improve with focus and practice.

CF: Can you give me a specific moment in history or a person who was fearless and truly inspired you

BT: There are a lot of people that have inspired me through the years, one of whom is my father. He has never had an easy life with raising our family, but he has never complained and has continued to work hard to provide for us all of his life. His determination and perseverance have always been a source of strength that I have depended on. I consider him to be my hero.

CF: Who or what inspires you each day to be a fearless champion for other survivors?

BT: Since my diagnoses with brain cancer, I have met so many amazing and strong people who are also battling this disease, many of them children. When I meet these children and see how courageous and cheerful they can be, I am truly inspired to never give up and to continue my own battle.

CF: What drew you to running originally and what pushes you to complete more and bigger physical feats? How many marathons and triathlons have you completed in your life? Why did you want to run at Kona in particular?

BT: I have always enjoyed being an athlete and challenging myself physically, from competing in soccer and field hockey in school to eventually running marathons and triathlons. I have completed more than 40 marathons and triathlons; I haven’t kept an accurate count over the years, though I typically run between two and five marathons each year. I am motivated in part by a desire to not let my brain cancer limit what I can do and to continue to push my boundaries. Triathlons, in particular, the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, are a natural extension of that philosophy. Completing the IRONMAN triathlon at Kona was one of the most challenging things I could possibly do, and because it is on the world stage it was my chance to bring greater awareness to all of those struggling with brain cancer and to help find a cure.

CF: Did completing the IRONMAN triathlon at Kona change your perspective on being Fearless, and if so in what ways? And how do you hope this accomplishment will influence others?

BT: There was a point, a few days before the event, while swimming in the Pacific Ocean, when I doubted and questioned my abilities and myself. A dear friend, who accompanied me to Kona, was with me and because of her encouragement I recovered and found my strength. Another friend supported me during the marathon portion of the event. Competing in Kona increased my awareness of how much I depend on others for their strength as much as others depend on me. I hope people can take my accomplishment and inspire themselves or a loved one to reach for their dreams and to not let their circumstances limit them.

CF: What do you hope to accomplish next?

BT: I’ll continue to do marathons and triathlons, but I’m still working on what’s next. I met a wonderful person, Maria Parker, earlier this year that has raced across America on her bicycle to raise awareness for brain cancer. We are thinking of doing something spectacular together, but are stilling working on the details.

CF: How important is your support in helping you to approach your brain tumor and your advocacy for other survivors in a fearless way?

BT: My support from family, friends, my doctors, and the community means so much! Without their support and encouragement I would not be able to accomplish what I have been able to so far. It is through them that I find my strength and I know that when I am weakest or need help, they are always there to lift me back up and keep me going.

CF: Is there anything else you would like to share?

BT: I want to inspire people. I want someone to look at me, or remember me when I am gone, and say, “Because of BethAnn Telford, I didn’t give up!”