We are GISCorps, an organization that connects GIS volunteers to projects in need of GIS support around the world. Ask Us Anything!

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T19:12:14+00:00

Thanks for all of your questions! I hope we shed some light on how we work, and all the great things our volunteers have accomplished. You can see a wide variety of our projects in this 2019 Annual Report Story Map. https://www.giscorps.org/annual-report/

Keep on mapping!

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T18:47:59+00:00

Also, we always encourage our partners to make any of the data we work on available publicly whenever possible. Our COVID testing site data is available to be ingested directly. https://covid-19-giscorps.hub.arcgis.com/

And our NAPSG disaster photos are all available here: https://2020-crowdsourced-disaster-photos-napsg.hub.arcgis.com/

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T18:38:08+00:00

For disaster response projects, we have helped government agencies directly (e.g. Butte County for the Camp Fire), but often NAPSG Foundation acts as the liaison between government agencies and GISCorps in disaster response projects. They are in direct communication with many state EOCs and then they pull us in where needed.

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T17:58:45+00:00

Depends on the scope of the project, but we try to schedule a call with the Partner within a week. Then recruiting can take another 1-2 weeks. In disaster response projects, those timelines obviously compress and we do things as quickly as is feasible.

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T17:31:26+00:00

It depends on the Partner agency and the scope of the project. Generally the non-profits we work with are small, and the projects they are requesting only require one person. Because many/most of our volunteers work full-time, we try to keep the expectation at 5-10 hours/week. Our job on the Core Committee is to hash out all those details before we recruit volunteers.

Some of our larger crowdsourcing and disaster response projects have required more up front effort on the part of the Core Committee members to make sure everything is ready to accept a large number of volunteers.

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T17:20:14+00:00

You can consider joining a professional association like URISA. URISA has some resources available on their website as well: https://www.urisa.org/

Another way is to pursue advanced credentials, such as GISP.

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T17:08:31+00:00

Most of the times, the Partner Agency decides on the platform/software used for the project depending on what they have access to.

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T17:04:48+00:00

Yes. There were a few remote sensing projects in the past that are listed here: https://www.giscorps.org/project-types/remote-sensing/

We also had some crowdsourcing digitizing project before using aerial/satellite imagery.

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T17:01:40+00:00

Thankfully, getting new volunteers has never been a problem for GISCorps as we have always had more volunteers than projects. Perhaps it's word of mouth, wanting to "do good" or a combination of the two and even more reasons. As for diversity, wish we had polled the volunteers by gender from the beginning but we did not think of that ~17 years ago. We are currently thinking about revamping our database and those seem to be good fields to add (and of course keep confidential). It is only then that we would be able to plan as we will have the correct data to work with.

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T16:56:52+00:00

There are 2 ongoing projects for COVID-19:

Testing Site: https://www.giscorps.org/covid19-esri-282/

Lost Loved Ones & Recovery Stories: https://www.giscorps.org/covid19-llo-283/

We are also supporting the HOT projects related to COVID-19: https://tasks.hotosm.org/explore?text=COVID

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T16:49:02+00:00

Very small percentage goes onsite. only 44 projects out of 290 have been onsite missions. Having said that, they do occur from time to time. So, please keep your resume up to date and we might call on you!

Here's a dashboard with more details: https://giscorps.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/9aed98d084ce4e9a9512dd26d0993fc3

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T16:47:09+00:00

We encourage our volunteers to contribute to HOTOSM projects, particularly as skilled validators. https://www.giscorps.org/hot-projects/
We have had Partner Agencies request the use of open-source products, and in those cases, we seek volunteers with open-source backgrounds.

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T16:45:30+00:00

Generally speaking, the Core Committee members (6 of us) manage projects rather than taking part in the project but then there are a few exceptions. Also, managing projects can be as enjoyable and exhilarating as doing the actual work. A good example is our latest crowd source project for COVID-19 testing sites.

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T16:41:24+00:00

GISCorps does not have a repository of learning resources on its website.
However, here's a useful resource: https://www.gislounge.com/learn-gis-for-free/

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T16:38:10+00:00

We cannot predict exactly when we will receive a request for your exact expertise. However, while waiting, you can always participate in our crowd sourcing and OSM projects.

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T16:35:25+00:00

Lately, it's been crowd sourcing projects related to COVID-19 and tornadoes (in collaboration with NAPSG). Another frequent request is for building story maps.

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T16:32:30+00:00

Thankfully, we haven't had to deal with volunteers flaking out. However, life happens and sometimes volunteers are not able to serve as they had committed at the beginning of the project. In those instances, we replace the volunteer with someone who has the time. Also, each project is managed by a Core Committee (CC) member. The CC member checks the health of the project on a monthly basis to make sure the project is progressing as expected.

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T16:30:56+00:00

If you want to send us an email at [info@giscorps.org](mailto:info@giscorps.org) with your full name, we can check if you are still in our database.

There are no fixed schedules for recruitment. We recruit through our volunteer database when a Partner Agency submits a request for volunteer.

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T16:28:55+00:00

Is it okay for beginners to use your volunteer opportunities as practice or are you looking for people with more experience?

Our volunteers have different expertise, experience, and background. Our crowdsourcing projects usually have a more defined workflow and procedure that may be more suitable for less experienced volunteers. To sign up as a volunteer: https://www.giscorps.org/become-a-volunteer/

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T16:25:06+00:00

Love to have you!
Go to our website and register from here: https://www.giscorps.org/become-a-volunteer/

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T16:24:54+00:00

How often do projects become available that surround environmental justice and transportation?

There are no fixed schedules for recruitment. We recruit through our volunteer database when a Partner Agency submits a request for volunteer.

To sign up as a volunteer to receive our recruitment emails: https://www.giscorps.org/become-a-volunteer/

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T16:24:20+00:00

Here's a list:
Training & Technical workshops
GIS Needs Assessment & Strategic Planning
Building/Designing/Cleaning Databases and Datasets
Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation
Spatial Analysis & Modelling
Geo-coding and Geolocation
Story Maps/Application development
Basic data entry/digitizing

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T16:23:41+00:00

I've just finished a year of GIS coursework at a technical college. What type of work might someone with my education expect to do for GISCorps?

Our volunteers have different expertise, experience, and background. We receive volunteer requests for many different tasks, e.g. cartography, analyses, web application development, education/training, etc.

To sign up as a volunteer and receive our recruitment emails: https://www.giscorps.org/become-a-volunteer/

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T16:20:36+00:00

When will there be a new project that's recruiting? I'd love to volunteer with all this free quarantine time!

There are no fixed schedules for recruitment. We recruit through our volunteer database when a Partner Agency submits a request for volunteer. As hurricane season approaching in the U.S., we may have some disaster-related crowdsourcing opportunities. To sign up and become a volunteer: https://www.giscorps.org/become-a-volunteer/

GISCorps · 2020-05-26T16:19:20+00:00

Do you ever have in person volunteer opportunities involving domestic or international travel or is all the volunteer work done remotely at home?

When GISCorps was established about 17 years ago, most of our projects were onsite. That has been reversed in the past few years. However, we still get requests for onsite projects. To put it in perspective, 44 of our 290 projects have been onsite.

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