When programs are new or at inflection points, it can be important to reach out to the community and learn what the priorities are. Sometimes the question is as simple as how many people there are in a given geographic area that would be appropriate for our services and how we can connect with them.
Using a mix of direct engagement and data from the census and other community datasets, we are able to help organizations size, define and understand their service populations. As mixed methods researchers, this ranges from standing in front of grocery stores talking to those coming out; to organizing and facilitating engaging community meetings; to reviewing existing narratives and studies; or pulling restricted census data to gain more complete pictures.