Community Indicators Project

To better understand the communities in which they operate, many Community Foundations complete an “indicators” project. The Sonora Area Foundation has completed two such projects, the first in 2005 and another in 2008. I am pleased to report that the Board of Directors of the Sonora Area Foundation has approved implementation of a Tuolumne County Profile 2012 – Community Indicators Project.

What is an “indicator?” According to our 2008 project, an indicator is “a slice of information that focuses on a small, manageable, and significant piece of a system or process to give people a sense of the bigger picture. In other words, indicators are statistics and trends that display the direction in which a particular condition is heading.”

With data now available from the 2010 Census, the 2012 Community Indicators Project will present information and data from that source, as well as other statistical resources. The data should reflect changes to our area due to the Great Recession, from which we are still recovering.

To complete this project, the Foundation will partner with the Center for Economic Development at California State University, Chico. The Center has previously completed numerous economic and demographic profiles throughout the state. Our final 2012 Profile will have most of the information included in the two previous projects, but at a significant cost savings.

Upon completion, the Tuolumne County Profile 2012 – Community Indicators Project will have a variety of uses. For the Foundation, the project can help the Board of Directors and staff identify competitive grant funding priorities or opportunities for the development of donor funds. For our donors the project can assist in decision-making about where to target charitable giving. For area non-profit organizations, it will provide a source of information and data that will help in implementing their programs, and in applying for grants.

If you would like to know more about this important project, do not hesitate to contact me at 533-2596, or by e-mail at edwyllie@sonora-area.org.