Sunlight Labs says non-profits would benefit from more accessible government data

As Sunlight Labs continues to invest in retrieving data out of the U.S. government, the non-profit wonders why others have not followed their path.

By using data to try and improve and create billion dollar industries, Sunlight believes non-profits could use open data to make a much more immediate impact on Washington.

“With the exception of increased 403(b) caps or other forms of financial tax incentives, I can’t think of a more common issue than open government data that the non-profit community stands to benefit from,” wrote Clay Johnson, developer at Sunlight Labs. “Open data can help a non-profit make more informed decisions on how to allocate its very scarce resources, more effectively help those in needs, make better decisions, and drive down a whole bunch of costs.”

For non-profits with ideas on how to use government data, Sunlight Labs asks them to submit them to the government here.

They also ask non-profits to join their campaign for transparency too. They believe a transparent government gives the public more trust in the public.

To have an open government, they believe the country needs transparency laws that publish public data online and in real time, harnessing the latest online and mobile technology for public data and a movement of citizens advocating for them.