Florida Community Foundation Launches Community Indicators Website

VENICE, Fla. - April 23, 2015 - PRLog -- Lists and rankings are all the rage these days, but a new website launched by Gulf Coast Community Foundation aims to measure critical aspects of the region’s economy and quality of life over the long term, to help decision-makers monitor trends, identify emerging issues, and plan community investments.

The website was developed by CGR, which has created web-based profiles for several communities across the country.

Gulf Coast Community Indicators will analyze and track 74 data points on topics including the economy, health, and education for Sarasota, Manatee, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties. This “state of the community” website presents key trends on important issues that affect the region, monitors the direction of each measure over time, and makes raw data available for download and use by anyone.

“Community indicators tell the story of our region, helping us to clearly see our strengths and challenges and to focus our efforts to improve,” said Mark Pritchett, senior vice president of Gulf Coast Community Foundation, who oversees the project. “Gulf Coast already uses this kind of data to spot regional trends and direct our funding priorities. Our Board wanted to turn that investment into a community-wide resource that anyone can use.”

Indicators on the website are grouped into six topic areas that affect the health and progress of the region: Demographics, Economy and Workforce, Education, Financial Self-Sufficiency, Health, and Quality of Life. For each, the site presents a dashboard of leading indicators and summary of recent trends, while individual indicator pages analyze the measure in context and provide data in interactive charts showing trends over time. Each indicator will be updated on an ongoing basis with new information as it becomes available.

The site’s 74 indicators were chosen by considering available data points and conferring with local leaders in the public and nonprofit sectors to decide which ones would best highlight important trends and issues affecting the Gulf Coast region. Selected indicators range from economic data like jobs and unemployment to local areas of interest such as beach quality.

The geographic area covered by Gulf Coast Community Indicators includes four counties in which Gulf Coast Community Foundation and its donors support communities and initiatives.

Data and trends are presented first for Sarasota County, where Gulf Coast is based and does the bulk of its philanthropic work. For many indicators, the site provides data for the region, the four counties, and individual municipalities, as well as state and national data to compare conditions and progress. The site also provides information on current efforts to advance the region and links to community resources in each of the topic areas.

The Gulf Coast Community Indicators project stemmed from research that Gulf Coast Community Foundation has commissioned over the past six years to better understand regional trends and strategically identify challenges and opportunities. While many organizations may collect data on different aspects of our communities’ health, workforce, education, and more, according to Gulf Coast’s Pritchett, these data typically aren’t available in one place or updated regularly. “By analyzing a common set of data, we can work together to address our region’s challenges and build on our strengths,” said Pritchett. “Our Board already uses this kind of data to drive Gulf Coast’s funding decisions, and now anyone can access it to plan action together and monitor progress.”

To view the Gulf Coast Community Indicators website, go to GulfCoastIndicators.org.

About CGR
Founded in 1915, CGR is an independent, nonprofit management consulting organization delivering expertise in government and education, economics and public finance, health and human services, and nonprofits and communities. To learn more, visit www.cgr.org. To learn more about CGR’s community indicators offerings, visit www.communityprofiles.org.

About Gulf Coast Community Foundation
Together with our donors, Gulf Coast Community Foundation transforms our region through bold and proactive philanthropy. Gulf Coast is a public charity that was created in 1995 through the sale of the Venice Hospital. Since then, we have become the philanthropic home of nearly 600 families who have established charitable funds here, and we have invested $192 million in grants in the areas of health and human services, civic and economic development, education, arts and culture, and the environment. Learn more at GulfCoastCF.org.