In 2008 CGR will play a key role in a major Community Indicators Project that will gather and examine information for a 7-county region in upstate NY. The project is a joint venture of the Rochester Area Community Foundation and United Way of Greater Rochester. The sponsors are developing an assessment of the community’s “health” on a wide range of social issues. Their goal is to draw attention to critical needs and encourage strategic focus on solutions by community leaders. CGR will gather data and conduct analyses for the 7 counties encompassed by the project - Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, Orleans, Genesee, Livingston and Wyoming. Donald E. Pryor, Ph.D., Director of Human Services Analysis, will direct CGR’s research efforts. Project findings will be undated annually, and sponsors have made a commitment to fund the project for 5 years.

Seneca County NY is the latest example of an area where CGR has worked with counties, United Ways, and community coalitions to measure progress against outcomes, highlight demographic changes and trends, and assess community well-being across specific focus areas. CGR completed the Seneca County profile in November 2007, and has recently completed profiles that have looked at 7 other NY counties. We engage community stakeholders in selecting outcomes and indicators, develop unbiased assessments and discuss the implications of our findings. Over the years, we have become a trusted resource for organizations that seek to determine the impact of various initiatives, set priorities and develop future strategies.