The 2011 LIFE Study served as the basis for nonprofit and government efforts to focus on the needs and issues identified by the community and supported by evidence, giving their work greater relevance. It was successful in its role as a catalyst for community initiatives across sectors, as a number of significant results followed the release of the 2011 LIFE Study. Examples include the following:
A Brown County Vision 2020 conference hosted by the Bay Area Community Council in collaboration with the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, Brown County United Way and the Greater Green Bay Chamber. This event occurred in February 2012 and was attended by hundreds of local leaders who brainstormed bold priorities for our community. The BACC subsequently convened discussion groups around the major topic areas highlighted at the conference.
One effort that stemmed from these discussion groups is the Connecting Our Community from Many Directions diversity project that is currently underway.
Achieve Brown County is a cradle-to-career organization that was initially launched by the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, Brown County United Way and Greater Green Bay Chamber. It is now a nonprofit supported by many community partners.
The Brown County Child Abuse and Neglect Task Force was co-convened by Brown County Human Services and Brown County United Way, due in part to data reported in the 2011 LIFE Study. The task force developed a community plan to reduce and ultimately prevent child maltreatment, which led to the formation of several active action teams and an advisory council to lead the effort.
An 18-month regional initiative is underway to use quality improvement science to address root causes of poverty in Northeastern Wisconsin. The Poverty Outcomes and Improvement Network Team (POINT) is a group of organizations across the region working on improvement projects within their organizations and communities, with the help of the expertise of the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), a global not-for-profit that partners with organizations and communities to create a healthy community by addressing issues that have a significant impact on health.
The study has informed the work of non-profits and their approach to serving the community. The Volunteer Center of Brown County, for example, has realigned its objectives to respond to the needs identified in the study. The Neville Public Museum collaborated with local organizations to raise awareness about healthy lifestyles to address the obesity epidemic in the area and on an initiative to address poverty in the community.
The Greater Green Bay Community Foundation created a new Field of Interest fund to support Arts and Culture, based on evidence collected and reported by the LIFE Study on the need for that support in the community.
The Women’s Fund, a fund of the Greater Green Bay Community Foundation, developed an impact strategy to support girls ages 9-15 and give them tools to set goals and stay on track. This priority was developed as a direct result of the data collected in the LIFE Study.
The developing Greater Green Bay Mental Health Connection strategy is informed by LIFE Study findings. The study brought relevancy to the collaboration to create better access and an improved system; decrease stigma of mental illness; create a healthier community; and increase funding for community mental health services.
2011 LIFE Study online: