Assessing Community Needs and Feasibility
Client
Private Philanthropists in partnership with UJA-Federation, NY
Problem/Question
For years Jewish residents of north and northeast Brooklyn were longing for either a central space or scattered hosted sites where they could go any day of the week throughout the year to connect with others in their neighborhoods for learning, celebrating and participating in various events. But without a concerted effort to describe community needs and assets, they were unable to move forward. Public Good was hired to provide invested philanthropists with a clear picture and analysis of various Jewish community landscapes and possibilities in response to needs described at earlier "Imagine Jewish Brooklyn" summits.
Identifying different space needs of various segments of different Jewish communities.
Confirming Jewish population centers and identifying neighborhood trends.
Identifying neighborhoods most lacking and with the greatest potential to sustain Jewish space.
Identifying Jewish programmers who are limited by a lack of space and determining their needs.
Locating existing physical spaces managed by institutions that have excess or underutilized capacity for additional programming.
We collected data using public sources and through community participation in focus groups, interviews and surveys. Data collection and analyzed was based on perspectives from leaders/providers and constituents/participants.
Outcome
A final report outlining characteristics and opportunities was provided as well as an interactive web application for further exploration and planning. The web application uses data collected throughout the project. Explore it here:
Results of our planning and evaluation were used to help inform the creation of https://www.theneighborhoodbk.org/ a dynamic arts and culture organization that promotes creative Jewish engagement throughout Brooklyn.
