Community Living

Index: Community Living

Community Living

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What We Measured | Highlights
Related Studies | Additional Resources

What's New (updated 12/17/08)
According to the City of Loveland's 2008 Quality of Life Survey [pdf], 10 areas showed improvement since the 2006 survey. The four areas with the lowest ratings concerned transportation alternatives, youth activities, development that enhances the quality of life in Loveland, and better paying jobs with benefits.

What We Measured:

Civic Participation

Diversity

Highlights:

In 2003, the Fort Collins Area United Way and United Way of Loveland/Berthoud/Estes Park joined together. The merge was done in an effort to meet the growing needs of the communities during difficult economic times in a way that would create the most impact. After the merge, United Way of Larimer County successfully increased fundraising from 2004 to 2007 by 33%. (United Way Donations)
In 2008, there were approximately 387 Larimer County public charities with assets above $25,000. Health and Human Services organizations represented 31% of these charities. (Public Charities)
Larimer County is predominately Caucasian with growing minority populations. Hispanic persons are the second largest ethnic group, making up approximately 8% of the total population in 1999. Asian/Pacific Islanders are the fastest growing ethnic minority. However, this group makes up only 2% of the population, an increase of 1704 persons from 1990 to 1999 represented an increase of over 60%. (Larimer County Population Race & Ethnicity)
The general voting trends in Larimer County are greater numbers of voters using mail-in ballots and fewer residents registering as Republicans and unaffiliated, while more residents are registering as Democrats. (Voter Participation)
In 2008, the Fort Collins MSA, including Fort Collins and Loveland, was ranked 7th among mid-sized cities in the United States with a volunteer rate of 38.3. This rate is higher than Boulder, Denver, Greeley, the state of Colorado, and the United States. (Volunteering)

Related Studies:

Still Serving: Measuring the Eight-Year Impact of AmeriCorps on Alumni [pdf] (May 2008) - this study, by the Corporation for National and Community Service, examines long-term outcomes for AmeriCorps members.
According to the City of Loveland's 2008 Quality of Life Survey [pdf], 10 areas showed improvement since the 2006 survey. The four areas with the lowest ratings concerned transportation alternatives, youth activities, development that enhances the quality of life, and better paying jobs with benefits. The 2006 Quality of Life [pdf] survey is also available.
Larimer County Citizen Survey 2008 [pdf] - (May 2008) - the results of this mail survey indicates that citizens think the county is doing a good job of delivering the services residents find most important - safety, voter registration/elections, and waste/recycling. The Larimer County Citizen Survey 2005 [pdf] is also available.
The State of Giving 2008, a Profile of Individual Charitable Giving in Colorado [pdf], published by Colorado Nonprofit Association, provides a statewide look at philanthropic giving by individuals.
Volunteering in America Research Highlights [pdf] (July 2009) - According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, Fort Collins was rated in the top 10 of mid size cities for volunteer rate.
Volunteering in the United States - this report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics provides national statistics on the demographics of volunteers.
2009 Loveland Community Policy Survey [pdf] - Released annually, this survey concentrates on the resident satisfaction of quality of life services such as community safety, arts and recreation, and city development among others.
City of Fort Collins 2008 Citizen Survey [pdf] - (December 2008) - the results of this mail survey indicates that citizens find Fort Collins a good place to raise children, to attend college, and to retire.
World Bank Social Capital Library: Database of Documents about Social Capital

Related issues within Compass:

Additional Resources:

Colorado State University:

Other Groups:

League of Women Voters
The World Bank Group - Excellent list of articles regarding the concept of Social Capital.