Sustaining the Operations of Community Indicators Projects: The Case of Twin Cities Compass

Abstract

As important as community indicators projects can be to a region's health and prosperity, they do not come with built-in revenue streams. This chapter explores how operations can be sustained based on the model established in Twin Cities Compass, a regional project covering the Minneapolis-St. Paul metropolitan area in Minnesota, USA (population 2.8 million). The model consists of grant-funded "core" operations, supplemented by project-related contractual work. The case study presents budgetary information, discusses eight strategies used to develop and maintain an audience, provides examples of project-related contractual work, and closes with lessons learned while developing the model.