At the end of 2019 we extended the services functionality in Local Insight, which can be used to upload and overlay grant data alongside the standard socio-economic datasets within Local Insight.
Join us for a training webinar here if you want to learn more about layering funding data on the Local Insight maps.
This blog gives some examples of what you could upload including a mini case study from Oxfordshire Community Foundation.
What kind of data can you upload?
The Services feature enables you to upload your grant data. In fact any data held at postcode level can be uploaded using this feature. Once uploaded it will show as markers on the map, which can be clicked on for more information.
There is support material available on the Help Centre on how to format and upload data to Local Insight using this feature.
An example of how data must be formatted in a CSV for it to be uploaded to Local Insight.
Once uploaded, the data shows as icons on the map, which can be selected on and off using the services button.
Use cases
Upload grants awarded data for your organisation
Uploading all your grants awarded data for a particular funding round or financial year is a quick and easy way to visualise where your grants have been made.
The new functionality allows you to provide more context, such as the amount awarded, details on the organisation and when the grant was made. This can help your team understand whether particular types of organisations are being under-represented or whether there are any areas missing out on funding.
You can use the Display Mode to enter full screen and then take a screenshot of the maps to add into presentations.
In this example, the grant data has been categorised (using the service type column) by year awarded.
The tick boxes next to the year awarded date can be selected/unselected to edit what is displayed on the map.
Upload all the grants awarded by major funders in your patch
Alongside your own data, you can also upload grant-making data from other funders in your area to better understand who is funding what and where, as well as whether there are any funding gaps.
Lots of organisations publish their grant data using 360 Giving’s data standard, which is made available to explore easily via GrantNav. This data can be filtered and exported by region, district, funders, amount awarded and award year. Once exported, a little reformatting is required and then this can be uploaded into Local Insight (we have put together guidance on how to format data to help you).
This shows GrantNav filtered by district.
In this example, the grant data has been categorised (using the service type column) by the name of the funding organisation.
The tick boxes next to the funding organisation names can be selected/unselected to change what is displayed on the map.
Join us for a webinar at 2pm on Tuesday 17 March where we will run through how to filter, export and reformat data from GrantNav for Local Insight.
Upload a round of grant applications for a panel
Upload a round of grant applications for a specific programme in order to aid decisions on how well they address fund criteria.
This can be used as additional guidance during panel meetings. At a click of a button, the panel can find out more information about the organisation applying for the grant, including potential beneficiaries and whether the organisation has received funding previously. You can of course also compare the grant application to data on the local need that is already preloaded into Local Insight for you.
Alongside the expertise of your grant panel, access to this contextual information can help ensure that grants are awarded to maximise the positive impact of your funding in the community.
Dummy grant application data. In this example, the application is for a project to support employment for young people in the area.
The indicator youth unemployment (18-24) receiving JSA or Universal Credit is overlaid alongside the grant application to demonstrate the need in the area.
How Oxfordshire Community Foundation used this new functionality?
We caught up with Simon (Community Impact Analyst) from Oxfordshire Community Foundation (OCF) to see how they are using the new functionality.
OCF wanted a way to map all the charities they have funded and then layer that data alongside the deprivation data on Local Insight. The aim was to identify both the needs of an area and the services already available that meet that need.
The new functionality on Local Insight allowed them to upload the charity data and categorise it according to the theme it addressed (such as relief of poverty, community cohesion, health and wellbeing). For each charity, they uploaded additional information to show the name, beneficiaries, charity number and charity website. Alongside this, they could then overlay standard Local Insight datasets showing local need.
The additional information they can now add into Local Insight means that the tool can be used to not only provide underlying data about local need, but also signpost users to other third sector organisations already working in that space.
The maps OCF have created on Local Insight have already been useful, for example, they were approached by a local group looking to renovate a condemned church and turn it into a community asset. Using Local Insight, OCF were able to quickly display the location of the church and overlay the Community Needs Index (a composite indicator which measures social and cultural factors that can contribute to poorer life outcomes). They were also then able to layer the charities that work in that area and could provide the group with contact details and information on other groups working in this space.
Get in touch!
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us on support@ocsi.co.uk or give us a call on 01273 810270
