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Nonprofit Alliance of Northeast CT to Conduct Windham and Tolland Counties Needs Assessment
The Nonprofit Alliance of Northeast CT (NANC) is engaged in conducting a Community Basic Needs Assessment for Windham and Tolland Counties. NANC is an innovative partnership of non-profit leaders who, through cooperation and a shared vision, are working to enhance and leverage the capacity of non-profit organizations so that individuals, families and communities in northeast Connecticut flourish.
Background:
Undertaking this assessment was the key recommendation from a NANC-sponsored November 2006 Regional Summit attended by representatives of non-profit service providers, philanthropic organizations, local municipalities, faith-based organizations, businesses, educational institutions and state government.
The Project:
Part One of the Needs Assessment was a Regional Social Services Inventory or “Asset Mapping” completed by a group that was part of a STRETCH Leadership Training program offered by Leadership Greater Hartford through the Windham Chamber of Commerce.
Part Two is a Comprehensive Regional Data Summary and Analysis in which baseline data will be collected and analyzed to create a demographic profile and summary of the accessibility to and affordability of meeting basic needs for the residents of Windham and Tolland counties.
The data will include:
- Income
- Age
- Education Levels
- Current and Projected Population
- Public Safety
- Employment Opportunities
Access to and Affordability of:
- Healthcare
- Food
- Housing
- Transportation
- Childcare
Data will be collected primarily through a careful review of current, disparate data sets supplemented with phone surveys. In each category, data will be provided that are detailed enough to indicate which populations and/or households are having or might reasonably be expected to have trouble meeting their basic needs.
The project will generate a written report of all the information collected, as well as a complete database from which standard and customized reports can be created. This database will be made available on CD to NANC and in turn, to any other interested local non-profits and/or municipalities.
Anticipated Outcomes:
With this data in hand, a number of positive outcomes are anticipated. The most important of which is a significant increase in the percentage of individuals and families in the region whose basic needs are met. This will be accomplished through the following related short term and intermediate outcomes:
- More Effective Organizational Planning: Social Service providers and funders (non-profits, municipalities, faith-based organizations and philanthropic groups) will be able to use the data to target annual and strategic planning based on up-to-date current, accurate information.
- Increased Funding for Programs and Services focused on solutions to needs identified through this project: Local non-profits will this use data to support funding applications to local, state and national funding sources.
- Transformational Collaboration: With the data from this project as the driver, shared annual and strategic planning will take place among and between social service providers and funders. This type of frank and open discussion will lead to collaboration that will actually transform the way organizations relate to one another and the community. Once the data is available, organizations will use it to inform shared decision making regarding who should and how best to address identified needs.
- Improved Public Policy: Data will be used to advocate at the state and national levels for legislation and public policy that will more effectively target identified needs.
For more information about NANC or the Needs Assessment, contact Peter DeBiasi at the Access Community Action Agency, 450-7452 or peter.debiasi@accessagency.org |
