2016/2017 Community Needs Assessment

COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT PRESENTATION 

The Community Foundation of West Chester/Liberty partnered with Ignite Philanthropy Advisors to conduct the first-ever comprehensive, data-driven community needs assessment for the West Chester and Liberty Township area. The final result, linked below, is a Community Needs Assessment Report outlining areas of identified needs in the region where philanthropy can make a meaningful impact.

The Ignite Philanthropy Advisors consulting team led a six to seven-month process which included a Community Summit to engage community, business and nonprofit leaders, as well as a data-dive and individual interviews to develop a better grasp of identified. Findings from the needs assessment will be shared with local government, nonprofit agencies, and other local organizations in the hopes of identifying areas of potential collaboration.

The needs assessment comes as a result of an extensive strategic planning process completed by the Foundation board and staff in 2015 in order to better define organizational goals and create actionable strategies to achieve those goals. One key finding of the process was the need to increase awareness of the Foundation as a leader and resource for philanthropy in the region.

“The goals that emerged from the strategic planning process really focus on what we, as a Foundation, can do to improve our community,” said Community Foundation board chair Ian Murray. “Part of that is doing a better job of letting people know we are here to make a difference. A needs assessment will equip us with the tools to accomplish that.”

Data from the needs assessment will enable the Foundation to focus its efforts on areas of greatest need, while also being able to assist donors in making the biggest impact locally with their charitable dollars.