Community Dashboards
Community Dashboards are user-friendly tools that align residents and the institutions that serve them around their common purpose — a ”north star” outcome to improve lives and reduce disparities within a geographic area.
Community Dashboards:
- Focus on a north star outcome and a limited number of holistic, interconnected outcomes that all advance the community-driven vision for what it means to thrive
- Establish clear baselines and targets to inform action — service delivery, public policy and resource decisions
- Drive dialogue, transparency, and accountability
- Track progress towards the common purpose and connected outcomes; informs strategic adjustments when necessary
Research Brief
Learn more about how communities nationwide are using community dashboards to improve lives and reduce disparities
About the brief:
Noting a lack of research around the use and effectiveness of community dashboards across placed-based initiatives, Finding Common Purpose conducted an extensive nationwide scan of place-based initiatives in 2022. We conducted research on the use of data, outcomes and dashboards across 572 place-based initiatives, then conducted in-depth interviews with 10 place-based organizations to understand their use of, and experience with, community dashboards. This field-building brief synthesizes the findings of those interviews, highlighting best practices for the development, use, and sustaining of community dashboards to drive PBI work.
Community Dashboards Essential Best Practices
- 1Communicate a THEORY OF CHANGE focused on a north star outcome and a limited number of holistic, interconnected outcomes that advance community-driven vision for what it means to thrive within a defined geographic area
- 2Strong, trusting, OUTCOMES-BASED RELATIONSHIPS with key institutions with power who work on outcomes included in the community dashboard
- 3CONTINUOUS RESIDENT ENGAGEMENT, participation, and collaboration lead to successful design, continued relevance, and long-term sustainability
- 4DEDICATED INFRASTRUCTURE — staff and funding — to sustain data collection, tracking, sharing, and storytelling
- 5TOOL TO ADVOCATE for public policy, resource allocation, and increased program delivery effectiveness
- 6LEVERAGES MEDIA to strengthen awareness, accountability, and sustainability
Case Studies
Place-based initiatives bring together traditionally-siloed sectors to improve life outcomes and reduce racial, socioeconomic, educational, health, and other disparities for individuals and families.
Across our research, four place-based initiatives emerged as particularly strong examples of the power of community dashboards. Each of these has aligned residents and the institutions that serve them around their unique common purpose, their ”north star” outcome to improve lives and reduce disparities within a geographic area. As a group, they provide an excellent illustration of best practices for community dashboards. Individually, they demonstrate the many ways place-based initiatives can tailor dashboards to meet the needs of their communities.
Child Poverty Action Lab
Dallas County, TX
“1 in 4 Dallas children grow up in poverty. Let’s work together to cut that in half in a single generation.”
Operates as an unofficial R&D department for Dallas, rethinking how data can be integrated into public systems, community programs, and neighborhood life to break cycles of intergenerational poverty. Their Five Big Bets for Economic Mobility: Benefits Delivery, Maternal Health, Housing, Safety, and Criminal Justice. Established 2018.
Child Poverty Action Lab
Marin County, CA
“Over 100 youth and family leaders, community organizations, funders, and public agencies – have come together as an integrated, Cradle-to-Career network to advance educational equity.”
“Network-of-networks” aligned around a common vision, accountability data, and
collaborative action. Part of the Strive Together Network. Six Key Milestones: Kindergarten Readiness, Early Grade Literacy, Middle Grade Math, College and Career Readiness, College + Career Program Enrollment, College + Career Program Completion. Established 2014.
THRIVE2027
Greater Portland, ME
“Working together under our community’s shared vision, we will give children a strong start, empower everyone to thrive – not just survive, and help people live longer, better lives sp that we all thrive together.”
Driving movement that unites community members to accelerate change. Coordinated cross-sector collaboration led by United Way of Southern Maine; working towards three 10-year goals: give kids a strong start; empower neighbors to thrive; help us all live longer, healthier lives. Established 2016.
Poughkeepsie Children’s Cabinet
Poughkeepsie, NY
“We envision a community where all children and youth thrive and have equitable opportunities to reach their full potential.”
The dashboard highlights how place impacts an individual’s life outcomes. Disparities in outcomes exist not only as a snapshot in time, but also limit socioeconomic mobility (the ability of a child to earn more in adulthood than the income of their family of origin). Our community dashboard tracks education and household outcomes across the cradle-to-career continuum that help us measure progress and align on initiatives to reach our North Star. Established 2024.