NONPROFIT RESOURCES
research and data sources relevant to our areas of focus
Building nonprofit resiliency, especially for organizations led by and serving people of color, is a strategic priority here at United Way of Rhode Island.
You’ll find information elsewhere in this section of our site about our current programs for nonprofits. (Run an afterschool or summer learning program? Make sure to join our Rhode Island Afterschool Network.)
Grantmakers Council of Rhode Island, a strategic partner co-located in our office, provides targeted support for nonprofits, including professional development programs, opportunities to engage and learn with funders, and connection with local and national resources.
Rhode Island equity and basic needs data
- DataSpark: Maps, infographics, and reports on issues United Way cares about. Go here before you re-create the wheel, or if you need some already processed data.
- RI DataHub (run by DataSpark): Data stories, data reports, and even a data catalog with info on adult education, housing, workforce, health, etc.
- RI Community Profiles: Information about each of Rhode Island’s 39 cities and towns.
- Rhode Island KIDS COUNT:
Produces a comprehensive report that assesses child well-being in Rhode Island.
- Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP): Reports on CCAP impact, etc.
- Rhode Island Afterschool Network: Professional development and practice information for youth-serving professionals.
- Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training: Data on wage rates and other labor stats.
- Economic Progress Institute: A go-to source for expert information on budget and policy issues impacting the economic well-being of Rhode Islanders.
- Latino Policy Institute: Studies that investigate issue areas impacting the Latino community and, in some cases, Rhode Island’s broader communities of color.
- University of Rhode Island Feinstein Center for a Hunger Free America’s Hunger and Poverty Facts: Data and research on food insecurity and SNAP in Rhode Island.
- Rhode Island Food Bank Status Report on Hunger: National and local data on food insecurity (runs one year behind).
- HousingWorks RI: Online factbook, as well as information about housing trends, housing in Rhode Island’s cities and towns, affordable housing, and housing and the Affordable Care Act.
- American Community Survey by the United States Census Bureau: Broad range of data, both raw and processed, about Rhode Island and its various communities. (Many research and data entities use the ACS data as the basis of their work.)
- Brookings Institute: Wide array of materials from international to local; focuses largely on economics, cities, and policy.
- Pew Research Center: Research on numerous social issues. (This is a great place to begin the hunt for research and data on nearly any social topic.)
- Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development: Data on the United States and countries all over the world with particular indicators on demographics, debt, environmental issues, and much more.
- Racial Equity Tools: Tools, research, tips, curricula and ideas for people who want to increase their understanding and help those working toward justice at the organizational and systemic levels.
- National Equity Atlas: Detailed report card on racial and economic equity.
- US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health Policy and Data
- Loving Cities Index: Schott Foundation for Public Education dashboard on supports that provide children the opportunity to learn (Providence profile).
- Race in America 2019 (Pew Research Center)
IN THE NEWS
United Way starts 21-Day Equity Challenge
Rhode Island Monthly
"If you’d like to learn more about equity and its role in the fight against systemic racism, United Way… is here to help. Starting on Wednesday, February 24, Rhode Islanders can take part in United Way’s 21-Day Equity Challenge. Participants will receive a daily email that will feature different topics on racial equity, [including] racial identity, implicit bias… and allyship."
Labor Vision TV: LIVE UNITED 2025
Labor Vision TV
"Erica Hammond sits down with United Way of Rhode Island's CEO Cortney Nicolato. At the start of the new year United Way… introduced its LIVE UNITED 2025 strategic plan… The pair will discuss the importance of explicitly addressing systemic inequity, specifically racial inequity, and the role all of us can play in the fight against poverty throughout Rhode Island."
11 Ways Nonprofits Can Garner Feedback
Forbes Nonprofit Council
"As with any business, [nonprofits must] balance… where… donors want to go and what… [customers] desire… [and] find a way to make giving feedback as painless as possible… To help, 11 members of Forbes Nonprofit Council discuss how [nonprofits can] generate feedback from both donors and customers to better plot the trajectory of the organization."
UPCOMING EVENTS
YLC and Wavemaker Networking Night
Join Young Leaders Circle (YLC) members and Wavemaker Fellows at 5:30 p.m for a virtual networking event. You'll have the opportunity to meet other young professionals and expand your network from the comfort of your home.
Forum on Economic Stability
Join United Way of Rhode Island and the City of Providence at 1 p.m. for a virtual forum on economic stability. You'll hear from policymakers and advocates about policies you can advocate for to help Rhode Island families achieve economic stability.
Community Learning Partners Series
Join Women United at 12 p.m. for the next event in their Community Learning Partners Series. You'll hear an update on the state of afterschool in Rhode Island from United Way's Ayana Melvan and Representative Julie A. Casimiro.