The document introduces a new online mapping tool called the Texas Connector created by OneStar Foundation that aims to help nonprofits in Texas better coordinate their efforts and maximize their impact. The tool allows nonprofits to visually see areas of need in communities and where other organizations are providing services to help with collaboration and ensure resources are allocated appropriately. It is described as being like Google Maps for nonprofits by allowing users to search for other organizations addressing similar issues in their area and then partner with them. The overall goal of the Texas Connector is to provide data and information to help grant-makers, government, and nonprofits better serve underserved communities in Texas.

1. Newsletter: Nonprofits
Newsletter: Nonprofits
DRAFT Newsletter Article
Audience: Nonprofit community, faith based community organizations
Author: A nonprofit leader
Maximizing Texas’ Nonprofit Sector to
More Effectively Serve the Community’s Needs
We at [NONPROFIT NAME] are in the business of empowering our neighbors in need. But we know it’s
not always easy to identify where exactly the greatest need lies, and sometimes we find ourselves
tripping over other nonprofits and houses of worship who are attempting to serve the same need.
Additionally, as nonprofits pour resources into providing services and meeting needs, they are often left
unable to devote efforts to community outreach, collaboration, analysis and planning.
In these tough economic times, ensuring our efforts have the greatest impact is more important than
ever. We need to collaborate to do so—not compete for resources and the attention of those we are trying
to serve.
The Texas Connector may prove to be one of the most valuable tools to help solve just this sort of
dilemma.
OneStar Foundation – an organization focused on building better nonprofits for a better Texas – has
developed the Texas Connector, a tool that, among other benefits, allows organizations like ours to have
the greatest possible impact on the community.
The Texas Connector addresses a challenge that the nonprofit community has recognized as a hurdle to
effectively serving Texas’ communities for years. In this data-driven tool, there is a platform to visually
demonstrate areas of need in Texas and the true scope of resources available to those areas, allowing
nonprofits and funders to more appropriately collaborate and allocate resources. This online, interactive
mapping tool displays information intended to bridge the gap between areas served by nonprofits and
the underserved communities of Texas.
Think of it as Google Maps for nonprofits. For example, we can search for other food banks or homeless
shelters in our zip code, identify where the greatest number of jobless residents live within that zip code
and then partner up with relevant nonprofits to develop a coordinated approach to meeting those needs.
The Texas Connector has many audiences and many uses, all with the common goal of equipping the
underserved areas of Texas. The Texas Connector will help grant-makers, government leaders,
researchers and the nonprofit community by providing a cohesive means of visualizing the needs and
solutions in Texas.
For more information on the Texas Connector, go to www.onestarfoundation.org/page/connector. To
learn more about OneStar Foundation, visit www.onestarfoundation.org.