OpenPlans

Organization Description

OpenPlans is a non-profit organization that seeks to combat the disconnect the average citizen has from civic life. OpenPlans argues that governments spend tens of billions of dollars each year on information management, but that much of that data is locked away in proprietary systems, and that where newspapers once fed civic engagement, mainstream journalism is crumbling. The organization believes cities are now sharing the same challenges — from education to transportation — and are stuck finding solutions on their own.

OpenPlans keeps “openness” at the core of all of their work: open data, open source software, and open lines of communication. Their approach to technology mirrors their approach to social change. All of their software is open source and they believe that technology can transform city functions — like urban planning and transportation — and that openness also contributes to good government.

In an age of dot-coms, OpenPlans bills itself as a ‘dot-org’: a non-profit building civic-minded software. By incorporating as a non-profit, OpenPlans is able to pursue projects of great public value, addressing needs the market often passes by.

OpenPlans draws on philanthropic and public agency investment to seed and steward open source software projects with the aim of fostering a community around each project to ensure reliability, security, usability, and use-driven software development.

As each of their software platforms mature, OpenPlans develops products and consulting services that follow from the software’s demonstrated value to users, not proprietary licensing fees. In this way, the organization can align their civic goals and business strategy. The result is software as public resource: freely available technology that liberates data and can empower people.