10 Year Spotlight: Data & Research Through the Decade
A Decade of Making a Difference
Through the Foundation’s decade of impact, we’ve helped produce and fund more than a dozen research reports on topics ranging from education, to the access and utilization of medical care, to economic opportunity. One of the most notable reports we helped produce for our community is An Equity Profile of Pinellas County, Florida, published in 2019 through UNITE Pinellas. The report analyzed racial inequalities in indicators ranging from poverty to health insurance coverage to misdemeanor referrals in Pinellas County, highlighting their impact on our community and making a case for equity.
It showed that, not only is working to achieve equality in outcomes the morally just course of action, it also carries significant economic and community benefits – like a potential $3.6 billion in economic growth, improved corporate profitability, increased upward mobility, lower per capita healthcare costs, improved health outcomes, and more. The research helped illustrate how, in a community in which race were no longer a factor in the assessment of merit or in the distribution of opportunity, all members would be able to contribute their gifts fully, enriching life for all who call Pinellas County home.
“Offering residents and local organizations a way to understand the impact of inequality and inequity in our lives and our community helps build the case for our shared work toward creating a better, healthier future,” Foundation President and CEO Dr. Kanika Tomalin said. “Producing and funding top-quality research for our community’s use is one of the ways we lead and resource our local ecosystem.”
UNITE PINELLAS WAS COMPRISED OF A HOST OF COMMUNITY AGENCIES AND ORGANIZATIONS WORKING TO IMPROVE LIFE HERE, INCLUDING:
- AARP Florida
- Allegany Franciscan Ministries
- Central Florida Behavioral Health Network Community Foundation of Tampa Bay Forward Pinellas
- Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg Juvenile Welfare Board
- One Community Plan and 2020 Plan Pinellas County Community Foundation
- Pinellas County Government Pinellas County Health Department Pinellas County Schools
- Pinellas County Urban League Pinellas Education Foundation
- St. Petersburg Chamber of Commerce St. Petersburg College
- Tampa Bay Health Collaborative United Way Suncoast
The Equity Dividend: $3.6 Billion
(The estimated increase in economic output if there were no racial gaps in income per the Equity Profile of Pinellas County)