The document provides an overview of the Community Profiles and MAPAS tools created by the Johnson Center for Philanthropy. The Community Profiles provide data reports for locations in West Michigan across categories like demographics, education, and crime. MAPAS is an interactive mapping system that allows users to visualize spatial data patterns and map locations of non-profits and services. Both tools source data from recent censuses and surveys, make comparisons across geographies and time possible, and allow customizing, exporting, and saving data reports. The document outlines how each tool can be accessed on the Johnson Center website and used to inform decision making.

1. We Got a Map for That!
Navigating Community Profiles
The Johnson Center for Philanthropy
Elizabeth Delaney, L.L.M.S.W.
delaneel@gvsu.edu

2. Johnson Center for Philanthropy
at Grand Valley State University
201 Front Ave SW
200 BLK
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Phone: 616-331-7585
at Grand Valley State University
www.johnsoncenter.org

3. Q & A: What are the Community
Profiles?
• Provides accessible national and
local data in an effort to assist
regional nonprofit, education,
and governmental leaders with
decision making, grant writing,
and program evaluation.
• Data reports for
– Counties, Cities, Townships, Wards,
and Neighborhoods in West
Michigan
• Gives an overview for
– Demographics, Education, Crime,
Etc.
• For a specific location
• Gives comparisons to other
geographies

4. Q & A: How do I access the
Community Profiles?
• From our website
– Go to the Community
Research Institute
homepage
www.cridata.org
– Then click on
Community Profiles tab

5. Q & A: How are the Community
Profiles organized?
• First by geography, then by
topical categories
– Listed in a pull-down menu
across the top of each profile.
• Categories include:
– Demographics, Economics
and Education, Housing, Birth
Statistics, Crime and Safety,
and Civic Engagement.
– Each include additional data
indicators. For example, the
category of Demographics
includes the indicators of:
Population, Race, Gender, and
Age.

6. Q &A: How old is the data and where
did it come from?
• All data sources are:
– Dated & Footnoted after
each indicator.
– Referenced in the notes
section at the bottom of
each page.

7. Q & A: What is the difference between
value, average, lowest and highest?
• Value: the actual number or
percent of the population
representing the indicator
• Average, lowest, and
highest: are calculated by
comparing the same
indicator across
geographies.
– The bar to the far right is
another way to visualize the
actual, average, high, and low
value of the indicator across
geographies.

8. Q & A: What does the map icon do?
• This visually maps the
indicator through our
mapping system,
MAPAS.

9. Q & A: Can I add or remove indicators?
• Yes.
– Click the build report icon
across the top of the
profile.
– You can add indicators
• Select the indicators you
want to add to your report,
then use the arrow to
move them into the box
labeled “Your Report.”
– You can remove indicators
• Using the arrow to move
them into the other box.

10. Q & A: Can I compare data across
geographies or over time?
• Yes. The following link can give
you a step by step guide on how
and when to use the Trend and
Compare tools, located under the
map on the left side of the
profile:
https://www.cridata.org/tools.as
px
• Which tools should I use?
– Trend: To view multiple geography
values across time
– Trend: To view data across all years
available
– Compare: To compare one
geography against another
– Compare: To compare multiple
indicator values

11. Q & A: Can U see data in different
formats? Can I export and/or print?
• Yes. Tools and data are
interactive.
• There are multiple ways to
view, organize and export your
“customized” data set.
– When you click on the “map”
link, the data will be mapped in
our geographic information
systems mapping software.
– The Compare and Trend Tools
provide icons under the menu
at the top of the screen, which
allow you to display data in
different visual formats.
– The platform allows you to
export the data in excel and
PDF formats.

12. Community Profiles Exercise:
Review the profile of Baxter neighborhood and answer the
following questions (Build a report):
• In 2010, what percentage of the population had a
Bachelors as highest degree?
• In 2006, what was the teen birth rate?
• In 2009, what was the total violent crimes?
• What neighborhood had the highest number of vacant
units in 2010, Baxter or East Hills? (Compare)
• What neighborhood had the highest number of vacant
units in 1990, Baxter or East Hills? (Compare)
• Is the violent crime rate trending up or down for Baxter?
(Trend)

13. Question: What is MAPAS?
• An interactive mapping system to
find data for customized
geographies.
• In MAPAS, you can:
– Build thematic (color coded) maps
around topics of interest
– Visualize and identify spatial data
patterns across multiple
geographies
– Display the locations of nonprofit
groups and other service providers
to evaluate existing (or lack of)
services within or near a user-
defined area of interest or service
area
– Create customized geographies,
dynamic reports for pre-defined
geographies

14. Question: How can I access MAPAS?
• You can access MAPAS
from our website.
– Go to the Community
Research Institute
homepage:
www.cridata.org , click
on the MAPAS icon.
– Or, go to:
http://open.cridata.org/
maps/mapas/

15. Question: How is MAPAS organized?
• In MAPAS you can:
– Select a geography
• Pre-defined neighborhoods, cities,
counties, etc.
– Enter a Location
• Specific address
– Draw a Customized Geography
• You can choose the boundaries of your
geography of interest
– Each category includes additional data
indicators
• For example, the category of
Demographics includes the following
indicators: Population, Race, Gender,
and Age
• There is also a Points and Layers Box,
which allows you to map the locations
of:
– Charter Schools, Public Schools,
Congregations, Food pantries, and Vita
site locations
– Allows for outlining and labeling
additional points of interest (i.e.
streets, parks and water, census tracts,
etc.)

16. Question: how old is the data and
where did it come from?
• All data sources are
noted and dated at the
bottom right of the
page.

17. MAPAS Exercises
• Scenario 1: Use Mapping to Focus Volunteer Efforts
• You are: A volunteer Coordinator
• You live in the Garfield Park neighborhood of Grand Rapids. You
are collecting funds door-to-door for the Neighborhood
Association and have limited volunteer resources. You want to
find out which part of the neighborhood has a higher median
household income because you want your volunteers to target
that section most heavily.
– Use the “select a geography” dropdown to zoom into the Grand
Rapids neighborhood of Garfield Park (Notice that the
neighborhood boundaries are blue).
– Select Topic: Employment and Income
– Select Indicator: Median Income
• Question: What section of the neighborhood has a higher median
household income, the northwest or the southeast?

18. MAPAS Exercises
• Scenario 2: Find the Closest Food Pantry in Proximity to a Citizen in Need.
• You are: A food pantry volunteer
• You get a call from a citizen looking for a food pantry close to their home. The
caller informs you that they currently live at 1050 Fountain St. NE, 49503.
– Type the Address into the ENTER A LOCATION box.
– Turn on the Food Pantries layer in the Points and Layers box.
• Question: What are the two closest pantry locations to the caller’s home address?
– The caller informs you that they do not own a car and need a pantry that is within a walkable
distance. You know that a walkable distance is approximately .25 miles each way.
– Use the Draw a Radius tool to make a .25 mile buffer around the callers address.
– Click “List Displayed Points Within Radius.”
• Question: Is there a pantry location that is a walkable distance from the caller’s home address?
– You want to save your work so you can review or edit it later. Create a MAPAS account!
– Save Radius
– Save Location

19. MAPAS Exercises
• Scenario 3: Find Voting Information for a Grand Rapids Neighborhood
• You are: A staff member at a foundation
• The Foundation you work for is funding a project aimed at impacting civic
engagement in the Garfield Park Neighborhood in Grand Rapids. You have been
asked to collect information on current voting trends in that neighborhood.
– Type Garfield Park into the ENTER A LOCATION box and hit enter on your keyboard.
– Click the REPORT link in the pop-up window
• Question: How many registered voters were located in the Garfield Park area in 2008?
• Question: What percent of those registered voters voted in the 2008 election?
– Close the Report
• Next, you want to map the voter turnout patterns within the Garfield Park
Neighborhood to visually see voting patterns. This will allow you to target your
efforts in areas with low voter turnout.
– Select Topic: Voting
– Select Indicator: Voter Turnout
• Question: Where will you focus most of your efforts?
• A) The northwest
• B) The southeast

20. MAPAS Exercises
• Scenario 4: Find a Target Area that is Most in Need of a Proposed Service.
• You are: a staff member at a foundation
• A recent pilot project encouraging mothers without a high school diploma to get their GED was very successful.
The foundation you work for is looking to fund a satellite project in the East Hills neighborhood. You need to
target the area within the neighborhood that is most in need of the service.
– In the mapping tool, zoom to the East Hills neighborhood
– Select Topic: Vital Records
– Select Indicator: Birth to Mothers with out High School Diploma
– If it is not already on, turn on the neighborhoods layer using the Points and Layers Menu located on the right side of the screen
– On your map you will notice a high concentration of births to mothers without a high school diploma. This will be your
proposed target area.
• Next you will want to find statistics for the proposed target area
– Use the draw a custom geography tool to outline your target area
– When your drawing is finished, create a report to pull the statistics for that area.
• Question: What is the percentage of births to mothers without a high school diploma in your target area?
– Close the report
– You want to save the customized geography so you can review or edit your work later.
– Save custom Geo.
• Now you decide to look for resources in the area.
– Click “Keep Geography” in the current popup window.
– Use the Points and Layers Tool. Click Public Schools.
– Click “List Displayed Points.”
• Question: Is there a public school located near your area? What is the name of the school?
• Now that you have chosen a site location you want to save your work so that you can come back and make edits
if necessary.
• Save Map, PDF

21. Bonus MAPAS Features
• Load multiple geographies into one map
– Log into MAPAS
– Go to My MAPAS
– Click Custom Geographies
– Mark selected geographies
– Click Load Multiple
• Load multiple addresses into one map
– Log into MAPAS
– Go to My MAPAS
– Click Locations on left hand side
– Mark selected locations
– Click Load Multiple

22. For additional training and technical assistance
in enhancing your knowledge and skills in
accessing and using community data:
• Go to: http://www.cridata.org/tutorials.aspx
for resources on using community data.
• Go to:
http://open.cridata.org/maps/mapas2beta/Tu
torials.html for tutorials on our interactive
mapping software, MAPAS.
• Contact Jeremy Pyne at pyneje@gvsu.edu
with questions on accessing and using our
Community Information Tools.

23. Johnson Center for Philanthropy
at Grand Valley State University
201 Front Ave SW
200 BLK
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
Phone: 616-331-7585
at Grand Valley State University
www.johnsoncenter.org