Hartford Foundation Sponsors 2015 Community Wellbeing Survey

An ambitious survey comprising all towns and cities and covering issues such as community vitality, health, family economic security, and individual happiness has received support from the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. The Hartford Foundation has approved a grant of $50,000 for Connecticut DataHaven, a nonprofit group leading the collection and study of public data on key social and economic indicators. This survey will provide valuable information directly from our region’s residents to better inform the Foundation of key issues impacting our everyday lives.

"As the Hartford Foundation has increased its use of data to inform our decision-making, we have sought to share such information with residents and nonprofit organizations as  illustrated by our 2014 launch of a community indicators project for Greater Hartford,” said Linda J. Kelly, president of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving. “We are pleased to be part of this broad-based coalition of stakeholders, supporting this extensive community well-being survey.”

The 2015 Community Wellbeing Survey will be the most comprehensive quality of life survey ever conducted in Connecticut, surveying 15,000 randomly selected residents from throughout the state. The Hartford Foundation is joined by dozens of the state’s leading community foundations, United Ways, hospitals, government agencies, and universities. Respondents will be asked about their views on topics related to civic engagement, health, economic security, transportation, housing, and employment, as well as on their individual happiness and satisfaction with government and community life.

"This is a nationally recognized program that provides neighborhood- and regional level information not available from any other source, with a mission to produce the highest quality findings on the issues that are most meaningful to residents of all of Connecticut’s towns and cities," says Mark Abraham, Executive Director of Datahaven. “With this detailed snapshot, state and local community leaders will be able to better serve the health and well-being needs of communities across Connecticut.”

Results from the survey will be published in a series of local and statewide reports throughout late 2015 and 2016, helping to shed light on progress made toward various longstanding community priorities, including financial security for families and opportunities for children to succeed.  According to DataHaven, cell phone and landline telephone surveys, as well as other public outreach, will begin this month.

Partners providing significant funding for the program are representative of each region of the state. This funding will support DataHaven as it conducts the statewide survey.

In Greater Hartford and New Britain, the program has drawn over $100,000 in support from the Hartford Foundation, Community Foundation of Greater New Britain, Trinity College Center for Urban and Global Studies, St. Francis Hospital, and others.