Sara Lyons, Program Director

Community Foundations of Canada

October 27th, 2011

Background

• Began in Toronto in 2001• moved from primary to

secondary research • Introduced as a national

program by CFC in 2006 with 6 foundations publishing

• 22 local publications (coast to coast) in 2011 and 32 community foundations in the program

• Internationally: Brazil, Australia, US, UK

Background

Community Foundations of Canada

– National membership organization funded in 1992

– Promotes movement and provides forum for CFs to support and learn from each other

– Helps community foundations to do their best work

What is Vital Signs?

• An ongoing program and regular publication• Collates and presents existing research data on the local

community from a variety of sources• Published by local community foundations, coordinated and

supported by CFC• Ten common issue areas – • 1. Gap between Rich and Poor 6. Getting Started in our

Community• 2. Safety 7. Arts and Culture• 3. Health and Wellness 8. Environment• 4. Learning 9. Work• 5. Housing 10. Belonging and Leadership

• One common core indicator per area (e.g. obesity rate, high school completion rate)

• Community engagement in defining areas of interest, sources of research, and grading of indicators

What is Vital Signs?

Measuring the vitality of Canadian communities in critical areas helps community foundations:

•Increase the effectiveness of our grantmaking •Better inform our donors about issues and opportunities in the community •Assist us in making connections between individuals and groups to address those issues•Providing a context and catalyst for community discussion and deliberation

Reports

Media Headlines

Region under microscopeThe Cambridge Times

Homeless, crime, cost of living dominate concerns in report on city

Red Deer Advocate

Hat’s OK, but there’s room for improvementMedicine Hat News

Sudbury booming, but poor get poorer: report

The Sudbury Star

Much work to do: ReportNB Telegraph Journal (Saint John)

What is Vital Signs?

Alongside local program, the national program features:

• Vital Signs Giving Guide, a national insert published in the Globe and Mail newspaper

• Website featuring all the national and local content, as well as local stories and contact information

• New national research each year focusing on quality of life in Canada, for example in 2010 we commissioned a national poll to learn more about how Canadians feel about their local environment

• Social media including the Vital Signs blog featuring regular Vital Signs program stories and quality of life news, written by a variety of bloggers.

The Community Engagement Process

• Indicator selection– Community consultation, online,

surveys

• Grading

Vital Signs as Catalyst

•What impacts are we hoping for?•What are we seeing?

•Public awareness of data•Relationships•Focus for foundation granting•Donor education•New programs•Improved relationships amongst not for profit organizations•Public policy influence•Youth Vital Signs, Vital Kids, Vital Impact, Vital Changes

Impact

Locally

• Tremendous profile builder

• Establishes foundation as “go-to” for community knowledge

• Engages foundations and donors in new granting focus and priorities

• Catalyzes new kinds of leadership activities and collaborations

• Call to action from new voice influences public policy

Impact

Nationally

• Significant national media attention

• Increased role for CFC acting as a hub for shared activities

• Backbone of our national branding around community knowledge and community vitality

Lessons Learned

• Quality data counts but must also emphasize accessibility

• Community engagement throughout the entire process sets up for results

• Community foundations need to play a role but not own everything

• The project is scale-able

• Coordinated approach add value

• The report is the beginning, not the end

Conclusion

www.vitalsignscanada.ca

www.cfc-fcc.ca