History

Since 1989, The Spartanburg County Foundation has published indicator publications to effectively raise awareness of the key issues that impact the growth, health and quality of life in Spartanburg County. In the most recent edition, Strategic Spartanburg: Community Indicators VI, The Spartanburg County Foundation partnered with the United Way of the Piedmont and Spartanburg County Government to convene hundreds of citizens to examine the issues that face our community and develop strategies to bring about significant change.

In 2007, USC Upstate joined as the fourth major sponsor.  The university's Metropolitan Studies Institute, led by Dr. Kathleen Brady, is now playing a key role in keeping data current and facilitating the research portion of this project.  This new partnership has allowed for a more comprehensive assessment of the status of each goal, and reports are now released frequently to update the community on indicator progress.  Events are held several times a year to convene the community around the data, and to inspire the dialogue and strategy necessary to bring about significant change in our community.

A host of community and faith-based organizations use the indicators for their strategic planning and community outreach efforts. Local funders such as Spartanburg County Government, United Way of the Piedmont, and The Spartanburg County Foundation have all aligned their funding to aid these organizations.

The Spartanburg Community Indicators Project is seen as a 'best practice' across the nation, and communities have traveled to Spartanburg from as far as Barberton, Ohio to learn ways to replicate the Spartanburg indicator project within their communities. On the national scene, a delegation from Spartanburg traveled to  Arlington last year to present Spartanburg's story at the National Indicators Conference.