As we’ve said in the past, we at CRC LOVE MAPS. They’re useful and (often) beautiful, helping us to make all kinds of decisions in research and daily life. Some of you have been following our interest in maps at the Baltimore DataMind blog, but to make sure more of our readers get to see that content, starting with this post we’re “folding” the BDM blog in here. So now, along with the evaluation news, data tricks, and dataviz tips you’ve come to expect from CRC’s blog, expect to learn more about making and using maps.

CRC’s dataviz team recently completed a comprehensive and beautiful infographic documenting breastfeeding statistics in the United States. Our hope is that this infographic can play a part in spreading the word about this important issue. From a public health standpoint, the medical benefits of breastfeeding are well established.* Breast milk provides babies with all the necessary fats, proteins, and vitamins they need for healthy growth and development. Among other benefits, antibodies in breast milk can help babies fight infections and reduce the risk developing asthma and allergies.

Infographics are all the rage. They are beautiful, engaging, and fun to look at. This one is no exception: At first glance, it looks like a lot of fun. The Finance Office has done something unexpected, which is trying to make understanding the budget of Baltimore City a bit easier by using data visualization. It is likely to be successful in that more people will look at this than might read a website that breaks out funding by categories, or talks about the property rate; but, it also leaves a lot to be desired.

By: Taj and Sarah Technology is always changing and evolving, and data visualization technology is no exception. While the term infographic was once unfamiliar to most people, fun visualizations are now regularly spotted on Facebook and Twitter feeds for both individuals and businesses. But just how much can we expect to see change within a year? In the spirit of the New Year, we are posting a few predictions on where we think data viz is headed in 2015 and beyond:

by Sarah McCruden Welcome to CRCs monthly series of articles on all things techie: Secrets from the Data Cave! (For those who dont know, the title references our room fondly referred to as the bat cave where data staff can geek out in an isolated setting.) Here well be offering you a fascinating sneak peek into the cave, with the latest updates & tips on what were implementing here at CRC!

by Jill Scheibler Hint: It involved both literal and metaphorical roller coasters. Today with suntans fading and schools back in full swing it’s a few days into fall and I can definitely feel it! It’s gloomy outside and I’d like nothing more than to revisit my summer vacation. In my role at CRC I wear a number of different evaluation hats, and otherwise keep busy throughout the year teaching courses at a local university and directing a small arts nonprofit called Make Studio.

The Baltimore Data and Evaluation Meetup, recently created by CRC, is a group for people working at nonprofits, foundations, and government agencies who are interested in collecting and using data to improve their programs. Whether you are trying to figure out where to start, wrestling with providing data to funders, figuring out what outcomes you should be measuring, or analyzing and reporting on the data you already collect, this meetup is for you.

by Tracy Dusablon Each CRC staff person is assigned a month in which to write a blog this month it was my turn. At first, I was wracking my brain to come up with something instructive, like in my colleague Sarahs series Secrets from the Data Cave, or hip like Sheilas post about Data Driven Detroit. Instead, I decided to write about something that sets me apart from my co-workers, and tell a little story about our office in the process.

By Sheila Matano This past week, Taj and I visited Detroit to meet with Erica Raleigh at Data Driven Detroit (D3) and also took some time to explore the city. Data Driven Detroit D3 is a National Neighborhood Indicators Partner (NNIP) and an affiliate of the Michigan Nonprofit Association (MNA). Created in 2008, D3 houses a comprehensive data system that includes current and historic demographic, socioeconomic, educational, environmental, and other indicators.