35.1 mil Americans face hunger and food insecurity. HungerMaps.org is the nation’s first GIS mashup to support anti-hunger advocacy and service provision, transforming local data into a national portrait of needs and resources as the basis for direct action.

At the heart of HungerMaps is a free, user-friendly GIS mapping interface that enables registered users to upload local data and create interactive, online maps on-the-fly. Users can then share their maps and datasets through email, widgets and – to our knowledge – the first software capable of turning live Google mashups into print-worthy PDFs.

Now in it’s second year of operation, HungerMaps’ users from Alabama to Alaska are using data visualization to engage volunteers, donors, colleagues and elected officials in the fight against hunger. Outside the anti-hunger movement, HungerMaps’ innovative approach has led to its use in college courses at the University of California and recognition by nutritionists in Today’s Dietician magazine.

HungerMaps also provides paid software-as-a-service to organizations that want maps tailored to their specific objectives. In Seattle, HungerMaps has worked with the Seattle Public Utilities to create a map facilitating donations between soup kitchens and restaurants, saving tons of food that would otherwise go to waste.

HungerMaps is discussing partnerships with corporate entities, national groups, and more local users in the coming year. Through these efforts, HungerMaps aims to break the habit of late technology adoption among nonprofits and lead the wave of “best in class” online map creation and presentation.