Nonprofit organizations are rapidly adapting to the social and economic fallout from the COVID-19 crisis. To better understand the unprecedented challenges facing these organizations and to identify specific areas where support might be needed most, we partnered with the United Way of Central Ohio and the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County to conduct a survey of Central Ohio’s human service nonprofits.

There aren’t many things that survey research experts can do to help in the midst of a pandemic. However, when we heard that the United Way of Central Ohio and the Human Service Chamber of Franklin County wanted to conduct a survey of nonprofit organization leaders, we knew we had to help.

Be on the lookout for some news on this front in the next few days… In the meantime, stay healthy, all.

The entire Illuminology team was honored to receive Columbus Business First’s Outstanding Diversity Champion (Organization) award in 2019!

Many of our community impact studies call us to reliably measure gender, racial, and income disparities and then identify opportunities to take meaningful action. Via our work with the Women’s Fund, CHOICES, a large number of health departments and hospitals, and many others, we feel privileged to have a (small) role in helping communities to grow stronger.

The Context

Since 1977,CHOICES has provided shelter to abused women and their children. Upon completion of a new family shelter in 2019, LSS CHOICES and the Franklin County Commissioners asked Illuminology to help complete a comprehensive assessment of intimate partner violence (IPV), in keeping with the mission to continuously improve services to IPV survivors. Then, in 2023, LSS CHOICES requested that Illuminology build a process to increase collaboration among LSS CHOICES and partner organizations.

The Critical Questions

How many women in the community experience intimate partner violence? How might this change over time? What are the gaps in service provision to these women, and how can IPV services in the community be improved? How can organizations collaborate to enhance domestic violence services?

Our Solution

In 2019, our research team used both quantitative and qualitative research methods in this community assessment. Data from the US Census and the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention were used to compute incidence rates and to project those rates into the future. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with local service providers, national subject-matter experts, and most importantly, women who had been subjected to IPV, in order to assess the current status of service provision in the community and how best to improve it. Illuminology also facilitated community meetings with local stakeholders at the beginning and end of the assessment.

Illuminology is currently in the process of building a coalition of organizations to improve domestic violence services.

Illumination

This 2019 community study on domestic violence shed light on several important ways that the community network of IPV service providers can improve its response. The top three critically underserved needs were (1) a lack of collaboration across providers (2) a sense of empowerment for survivors, and (3) cultural competence in care.

Resolution

The topline results from the 2019 community study were presented to the Franklin County Board of Commissioners, the LSS CHOICES Board and their assessment committee, and community service providers and stakeholders; a more comprehensive report was also made available to subject matter experts and practitioners. Illuminology is currently doing collaborative work to create a plan to improve system-wide cooperation, serving as a roadmap for future efforts.