IFTTT update: Non-profits and IFTTT

We recently announced our new initiative, the Data Access Project. The response has been exciting: already, thousands of you have turned on Applets that use public data! We’re proud of the ways we’re working to bring you closer to the institutions and agencies that impact your life.

However, we realize that impact goes both ways: armed with the right information at the right time, every person can be a force for good in the world.

Coming out of our work on Applets for activism, we started speaking with the team at Equal Rights Advocates. When we embarked on the Data Access Project, we realized it was the perfect opportunity to work closely with ERA to build out a service, and bring more non-profits to IFTTT. Here’s an in-depth look at these groups, and why we’re excited to have them on the platform.

Equal Rights Advocates (ERA)

ERA is a national (US-based) civil rights organization dedicated to protecting and expanding economic and educational opportunities for women and girls. Since 1974, their campaigns have used public education, legislative advocacy, and litigation to fight for women’s equality. Their service pulls from their news and social feeds — turn on Applets to follow their progress and spread the word about their vital and tireless work.

World Wildlife Fund (WWF)

The WWF is the world’s leading conservation organization. They’re active in over 100 countries, on a mission “to conserve nature and reduce the most pressing threats to the diversity of life on Earth.”  To that end, they’re focused on issues that impact food, climate, fresh water, wildlife, forests, and the oceans. They’ve taken on an ambitious goal-oriented approach to their work, and it’s not hyperbole to say that the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. Their service lets you share and save stories across their impact areas, so you can amplify their work and stay informed.

American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)

The ACLU has certainly been in the news a fair amount lately. But for almost a century, they’ve been working to defend and preserve the U.S. constitution and the civil liberties of its citizens. The odds are good that if you look closely at a landmark Supreme Court decision from the last hundred years, you’ll find that the ACLU has been involved. They’ve grown to become the nation’s largest public interest law firm, with operations in every state. Connect their service to hear about breaking ACLU news first, and share it with the groups that are important to you.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF)

The EFF is focused on civil liberties in the digital world: from user privacy to net neutrality to patent law, you might be surprised at how often your world intersects with the issues they champion. They advise policymakers, educate the public and press, host workshops, and manage an action center to help citizens get involved. The EFF's Applets can help you stay informed and take action.

It was exciting to work with ERA to bring their service to life, and to find other useful and inspiring non-profit feeds to highlight. As the Data Access Project evolves, we look forward to working closely with more causes. It's rewarding for our team, and — we hope you'll agree — our users!

P.S. The emojis in our header were designed by the Twemoji team at Twitter.  

IFTTT update: Introducing the Data Access Project

Since we announced our partnerships with ProPublica and the city of Louisville, we’ve fielded dozens of similar inquiries from governments and citizens alike: how can we empower more people, with more access, to more public data?

We also recently enabled partners to build services that use RSS feeds to run Applets. After launching this new platform feature, we realized we now had the opportunity to showcase our commitment to data access.

There are hundreds of open feeds sharing valuable, interesting data. But finding and using that data hasn’t been so simple — until now.

The Data Access Project

Applets are an incredibly powerful way to interact with data. To empower our users and partners, we decided to seek out valuable public feeds and give them a presence on IFTTT. Today, we’re thrilled to showcase the first group of new services we’ve built, for what we’re calling the Data Access Project.

They cover a diverse swath of topics: The economy, cyber security, health and travel alerts, public transit, and more. Scroll through to see the full list — we’re spotlighting some of our favorite Applets here, but there’s 100s more to explore (and build!).

Stay up to date on economic indicators and new regulations

Follow along with the Department of Labor and the Bureau of Economic Analysis as they track the growth of the U.S. economy.

You can also get investor alerts from the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, or go global with the International Monetary Fund’s Economic Outlook reports.

The Federal Communications Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency provide insights and updates on new government regulations.

Discover new research and ignite your curiosity

Turn on Applets that connect you to a world of fascinating information and new research. Dig into the Library of Congress’ rich and varied collections.

Get updated on new discoveries from the National Science Foundation, or today in Energy news from the Energy Information Association.

Check out the American Psychological Association service to find fascinating insights into the workings of the mind. 

For even more breadth and depth you can tap into USA.gov, the online portal for the entire federal government. Or follow the latest in nonpartisan reporting, across a huge range of issues, from Pew Research Center.

Feeling inspired by all of this new information? We'd like to help you get out there and discover something yourself! Use the Grants.gov service to find new funding opportunities. 

Go behind the scenes with the U.S. military and monitor cyber security threats

The Department of Defense shares regular updates and photos covering every branch of the military.

Tap into Homeland Security (legally!) via the US Computer Emergency Readiness Team and the National Vulnerability Database. It’s easy to share updates with your coworkers.

Get important travel and health alerts

You can feel good about booking those plane tickets: Applets for U.S. Department of State travel alerts, World Health Organization outbreak news, and updates from The United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime will give you an eagle-eye view on the world.

It’s easy to monitor threats that may be closer to home, too — the Centers for Disease Control and the United States Department of Agriculture will keep you in the loop on food and drug recalls.

Take charge of your health by getting the news you need about new treatment options: ClinicalTrials.gov shares updates related to diabetes, cancer, and asthma.

Optimize your commute and get to know your city or state

Global issues, groundbreaking research, and federal policies are certainly important. But how can you focus on them when you’re stuck on a delayed train or dealing with an unexpected detour? That’s why we’re bringing on as many transit agencies as we could tap into.

Explore Applets that work with Amtrak, NJ Transit, King County Metro, the Maryland State Highway Administration, San Francisco’s MTA Blog, the Toronto Transit Authority, Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART), Caltrain, and the Chicago Transit Authority.

In the spirit of Smart Louisville, we’re also looking at specific regional or city-based feeds. We believe citizens are interested in taking action, and want to make sure they have the data they need to stay informed. Check out the services we’ve built for the City of Tampa and the Texas Legislature.

This is definitely a record for the most simultaneous service launches on IFTTT —  but it’s only the beginning of the Data Access Project.

We’ll keep you updated here on new developments and new services. In fact, check back next week to learn how we’re using this initiative to bring more non-profits onto IFTTT.