Catalyst Convening Update: Sharing our Progress

I’m excited to update you on Catalyst and share the strong progress we’ve made, with two-thirds of our project year now complete. Nearly 300 experts and community leaders have engaged in convenings across six issue areas, working to ensure our dashboard reflects community needs and evolves in meaningful ways.

In November 2024, our first round of discussions focused on defining priorities and key data points for a community-informed dashboard. Catalyst Chairs then refined this input into data strategies, which were presented during the second round of meetings (Jan–March 2025). Participants reviewed and fine-tuned their strategies, ensuring clarity, relevance, and completeness—some groups even renamed their issue areas to better align with their data story.

Below is a high-level summary of each issue area’s data strategy and key statistics that participants identified as critical.

YOUTH & EDUCATION Leading Indicators Student SAT/ACT Participation Teacher Certification Status Bullying and Mental Health Lagging Indicators 4- & 5-Year High School Graduation Rates % of Students proficient in math by 6, 7, 8 Continuing & Higher Education % of adults with post-secondary degree % of adults in certification programs	OLDER ADULTS & PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES Older Adults Number of Older Adults in Region Older Adults in Poverty,200% of Poverty levels Retirement Readiness People with Disabilities  Number of People with Disability People with Disability by age Disability Type Education
HEALTH & WELLBEING Healthcare Access  Private Insurance / Uninsured Dental Care Visits/Availability Vision Screenings Social Drivers of Health Transportation Access Food Insecurity Household Income Environmental Health Health Outcomes Infant Mortality Rate Chronic Disease Obesity Cause of Death	CULTURAL, CIVIC & SOCIAL VITALITY Cultural Environment Tourism Data % Area Covered by parks SMU Arts Vibrancy Score Historical & Cultural Heritage Sites Sports Entertainment  Civic Engagement Voter Participation Volunteerism & Board Participation Public Trust & Social Capital Social Environment Recreational and Leasure Activities Social Isolation % # of Social Associations
PROSPERITY & OPPORTUNITY Business Environment Industries located in the region Number of establishments Employer Size Jobs & Wages Per Capita Income Poverty Rates Unemployment Rate & Self-Employment Rate Mobility Walkability Commute Time and Distance Public Transportation Affordability ALICE Households Self-Sufficiency Standard Cost of Living Index	HOUSING & COMMUNITY STABILITY Homeownership Homeownership Rate  Cost Burden for Homeownership First-time homebuyer market share Renting a Home Cost Burden for Renting the Property Fair Market Rent by Number of Bedrooms Evictions Community Safety Crime Rates by Type Traffic Accidents and Violations Emergency Vehicle Noise Index Unhoused Populations Homeless Population Count Homeless Veterans Chronically Homeless

Thank you so much to all who have participated so far. We are especially grateful for our Catalyst Convening sponsors the C. Herman & Mary Virginia Terry Family Foundation.

I am looking forward to continuing this work and building an even better resource for our community!

Allison Ownby
Director of Research and Evaluation
Nonprofit Center of Northeast Florida
904-425-8758
aownby@nonprofitctr.org