HOW WE ACHIEVE IMPACT
NC Counts is a thought leader in the issues we champion. We drive innovation, foster collaboration, and build capacity across our areas of focus. By guiding our vision and strategy, we ensure that our efforts remain equitable, impactful, and adaptive in addressing the needs of the communities we serve. We achieve impact through the following: Community Centered Approach. NC Counts uses a community-driven, bottom-up approach to develop programs 1 that genuinely address the needs and interests of the communities we serve. Our initiatives are crafted using qualitative data gathered from our community-based member organizations; our team’s knowledge, experience and observations from working in and being a part of the communities we serve; and, whenever possible, directly from individuals in priority communities. This approach ensures that our 1 programs, 2 campaigns, and 3 initiatives are deeply rooted in the priority communities’ reality and actively supported by them, making the programs more effective, relevant, and impactful. 1 Multi-Issue Organizing. NC Counts employs multi-issue organizing to develop holistic strategies that address the root causes of various issues, rather than treating symptoms in isolation. This approach allows NC Counts to effectively blend direct services, community organizing, and advocacy. For instance, many member organizations initially joined our efforts through COVID-19 response and recovery, focusing primarily on health issues. Through NC Counts, these organizations were introduced to the redistricting process in a trusted environment where they already had established relationships. They learned about redistricting, brought this knowledge back to their communities, and mobilized individuals to participate in public hearings. This demonstrates how multi-issue organizing can expand the scope of advocacy and empower communities to engage in diverse areas of reform. 2 Data-Driven Strategies. NC Counts uses a data-driven approach to build our programs, which involves using quantitative and qualitative data to inform our decision-making, strategy development, and program implementation. As a census focused organization, we leverage data from the decennial census, American Community Survey, and other sources to design, implement, and evaluate programs. Our data-driven approach ensures that our work is based on evidence, which can lead to more effective and efficient outcomes. 3 Convening and Coordinating. NC Counts serves as a convener and a valuable resource for bringing the right people together, identifying needs, and directing resources to address and alleviate those needs. NC Counts brings organizations together in various spaces for both virtual and in-person convenings to share information and resources, coordinate efforts, inspire collaborations, and reduce duplication of efforts. 4
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