Unlike GuideStar, which is essentially "organization-centric," the Platform is intended to be a local free and public resource around which the community – not just nonprofits, but individuals, government and the for-profit sector too – can more efficiently and effectively mobilize resources and organize itself to meet community needs.
The maps are probably the most tangible example of this approach in action, but modules like Community Statistics Module, Community Project Management Module, the Schools Module, Community Needs Module, and (perhaps to a lesser extent) Shared Resources are also modules that go beyond the organization-centric approach of GuideStar to a “community-centric” focus. The ability to add new community resources, such as government programs and offices, or informal organizations is also part of this overall community-focused approach.
The types of information we hope to collect eventually on programs or by linking to 2-1-1 will permit a much more nuanced understanding of how community resources match to community needs – something one just doesn’t find in an organization-centric tool.
NCCS has worked closely with GuideStar on numerous projects over the past 15 years and expect to do so in the future. There is the distinct possibility that we could eventually exchange data with them, although we do not have any active discussions underway at this time.