Strategic Spartanburg has recently received $75,000 of subgrant funding from the Truist Foundation and Purpose Built Communites to support increased access to neighborhood-level public data and contribute to the shared knowledge of the national network of communities.
This announcement comes on the heels of the organization’s move from an initiative known as the Spartanburg Community Indicators Project to a stand-alone non-profit under the new name Strategic Spartanburg.
Strategic Spartanburg’s mission is to report on data and engage the community in dialogue and strategy that leads to positive change in Spartanburg County. Board Chair Molly Talbot-Metz, President and CEO of the Mary Black Foundation commented, “We are honored to have been entrusted with these grant funds and excited to contribute to a project that will provide a model for other communities looking to use data to inform community decision making.”
Strategic Spartanburg’s Community Indicators Project is recognized for having over 35 years of regional leadership in quality-of-life measurements and increasing universal access to data. With this investment, the research non-profit will provide opportunities for communities across Spartanburg to easily access data about their neighborhoods and use that data to inform neighborhood priorities moving forward. It also allows Strategic Spartanburg to reexamine their community indicators, reimagine data collection methods, and recommit to community engagement in support of creating meaningful collective impact for Spartanburg County.
“At Strategic Spartanburg, we recognize the urgent need for dependable access to indicator area data and evidence so that all stakeholders (public, private, and nonprofit) and local experts (residents) can tell a meaningful story and make sustainable improvements in the condition of Spartanburg County,” said Midas Hampton, Founding Executive Director, Strategic Spartanburg. “We are incredibly pleased to receive these grant funds and partner with national organizations while ensuring that our work remains community-driven, data informed and leads ton transformative change.”