Problem

IU Lilly School of Philanthropy needed a way to disseminate its cutting-edge research broadly in order to raise awareness of generosity research, educate, and inspire generosity. It wanted new ways for audiences to engage with its research findings through highly visual and interactive tools.

Solution

In partnership with the IU Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, we created dynamic visualization tools for the exploration and analysis of data about philanthropic giving and volunteering patterns across the U.S.  These tools are part of the Generosity for Life website (a resource on charitable giving) and are powered by the data and research of the School of Philanthropy.

Data Visualization Tools to Inspire Charitable Giving

The Generosity for Life interactive platform and resource on charitable giving offers a multifaceted look at giving patterns over time. Its data tools visualize and analyze trends and patterns from the school’s Philanthropy Panel Study (PPS), which tracks more than 9,000 individuals’ and family giving, volunteering, and factors that influence those practices such as employment, health, and marital status. The tools developed by Polis include a Give-O-Meter, Generosity Maps, and Generosity Reports, making information on giving readily available for use by the public so they can understand changes in how Americans are giving and relate that to their own giving behavior.

  • The Give-O-Meter allows users to input their own demographic information and compare their giving and volunteering to their peers.
  • Generosity Maps show how people give across the country, filtering findings for geographic regions, type of charity supported, age, and income.
  • Generosity Reports provide a detailed charitable profile of giving trends in the US, infographics customizable by sector and region of the US.

For more information, contact Sharon Kandris.