High-Performance Partnerships - National Academy of Public ...

PARTNERSHIP CASE STUDIES
chapter three
research, evaluation methodologies, and funds
for services associated with both coalitions. The
Lilly Endowment and Indianapolis Foundation
are key participants, as well. Another FSC partner
is the Indianapolis Neighborhood Resource
Center, a nonprofit neighborhood-based organization
that delivers family-strengthening services.
Grassroots civic involvement has been key to
the coalition becoming “the community champion”
for family strengthening. The City of
Indianapolis plays a major coordinating and
support role, too. One of its primary responsibilities
is to provide community and political
legitimacy to family strengthening and human
services issues. Although the city is not a direct
funder, it provides in-kind resources for these
programs.
Results
FSC is in its infancy, but it has worked diligently
to define its desired outcomes. During the past
several years, it has sought community input
using summits, Family Circles, community partners,
and other events. Through this process,
the Coalition identified five priority community
results for strong families. They are:
• Families are healthy and safe.
• Families are financially secure.
• Families are engaged in each other’s lives.
• Families are engaged in the community.
• Families instill and support family,
heritage, faith, and cultural traditions.
In 2002, five Community Result Groups identified
indicators for achieving the priority
results. The groups and their indicators are:
Healthy and Safe
• smoking rate
• violent crime rate
• substantiated incidents of child abuse
and neglect
Financially Secure
• number of Earned Income
Tax Credit claims
• number of Child Care Tax Credit claims
• interest income as reported to the IRS
• number of people who own their own
homes
• number of people who have post-secondary
educations
Engaged in the Community
• number of registered voters who vote
• number of families who belong to resident
associations, tenants unions, and neighborhood
cultural, civic, sports, interestbased,
and social organizations
• the sense of place and neighborhood
identity
Engaged in Each Other’s Lives
• how much time families spend with
each other
• what families do in the time they spend
together
Families Instill and Support
• number of families affiliated with and
attending faith-based and cultural organizations
and activities
• number of organizations, associations,
and cultural and recreational activities in
which families can get involved
FSC has developed action plans to attain
results in these areas. The plans confirm its
primary role as convener/coordinator of community
assets, events, and services, as opposed
to direct service provider. Thus, FSC’s activities
focus on research, advocacy, public information,
and services through collaboration.
52 Powering the Future: High-Performance Partnerships