I wanted to let everyone know about some great new features that have just gone live on Influence Explorer. If you haven’t already checked it out, Influence Explorer is our one-stop source for a variety of influence-related data on politicians, political organizations, private companies and powerful individuals.

Our first new feature is a special postcard service for the midterm elections. We’ve designed great looking and information-packed postcards that show how much the candidates have raised and who is funding them. Select any House or Senate race, enter an address and a personal message, and we print and mail the cards. It’s a great way to show non-tech friends and family what’s happening in the elections–and what can be done with open data. The cards cost $2 to cover our costs, and we’d be grateful for an additional $1 (or more) donation.

Click here to send a postcard.

The next addition to Influence Explorer is a whole new section on industries. You can now see on one page what the health care industry, the banking industry or the oil industry is up to this election season. Politicians’ pages now also link to their biggest industry donors.

Our last addition is a whole new data set on federal spending. Taken from USASpending.gov, this data covers all federal grants and contracts to private companies. You can check out big defense contractors, loans to big banks or research grants to universities.

Check it out, tell your friends, and be sure to let us know what you think.