Community Partners Compile “Quality-of-life” Assessment

The Northwest Arkansas Community Foundation, United Way of Northwest Arkansas, and the University of Arkansas Community and Family Institute are collaborating with community partners to compile a Northwest Arkansas Community Indicators Report.

The groups are inviting community partners to the Jones Center for Families in Springdale on June 19 to prepare the area’s first compilation of community indicators along with their historical, state and national benchmarks.

The groups, along with partners that include the Walton Family Foundation, Tyson Corporate Giving and J.B. Hunt Transport Services Inc. is attempting to have its first report complete by September.

“While much of the data is available, it is not presented at the county or regional level and is not easily accessible by the organizations that need it the most,” said Jill Darling, executive director of United Way of Northwest Arkansas.

The June meeting is set for 8-11 a.m. and topics will include health care, poverty, civic engagement, public safety and natural resources.

“The qualify-of-life assessment can become a foundation for the ongoing assessment of community needs and assets and serves as a guide for community stakeholders in setting priorities, mobilizing resources and implementing action plans for solving community problems,” said Jack Butt, board chair of the Northwest Arkansas Community Foundation.

Ed Clifford, vice chair of the NWACF, said the information would be a powerful tool to improve the community.

“Far too often, nonprofit organizations and philanthropists make decisions on what they think is the problem in the area with little or no objective information on the prevalence or nature of the problem,” he said.