Foundation-Commissioned Research
South St. Pete Health Equity Profile (2024)
This report provides an in-depth analysis of the health, economic, and social status of residents in South St. Pete, focusing on three zip codes: 33705, 33711, and 33712. Developed to inform strategic planning for the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg, the report identifies key challenges and opportunities and emphasizes the importance of community engagement and systemic change to address health inequities.
The report is organized by providing the Key Takeaways upfront, followed by three sections addressing: the health, economic, and social status of South St. Pete residents; effective strategies for creating healthy, resilient communities; and residents’ perceptions of their health and their community’s health.
Economic Equity and Justice Data Scan (2023)
Black residents of Pinellas County have made record-setting progress in recent years, pacing ahead of their peers across Florida and the nation in education and employment gains. Black college enrollment is up, and 2023 brought us the smallest White-Black unemployment gap of the 21st century Yet, during the past decade, the most material gaps widened. The earnings gap between Black and White residents grew, as did the homeownership gap. Based on the limited data available, it appears the White-Black wealth gap grew, as well.
This report examines the gains, roadblocks, and gaps for Black Pinellas County residents, featuring 75 measures of economic well-being and capacity to analyze the economic landscape before us and offer ideas for what comes next.
BIPOC Mental Health Landscape Scan (2023)
Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities suffer the greatest disparities in all areas of health, including mental health, and its social determinants. Given the complexity of mental health, the barriers to receiving culturally competent care, and the growing demand for mental health services, the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg funded this research scan to inform our grantmaking strategy in this area.
This scan examines national, state, and local mental health and wellness data to understand trends in care, treatment-seeking behaviors, and outcomes; cultural practices within BIPOC populations relating to mental health; and the lived experiences of local BIPOC community members. Click here to watch a video recording of the Foundation’s presentation of the scan.
COVID-19 Data by Race (2020)
In response to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg and UNITE Pinellas launched a “COVID Tracker.” The dashboard helps visualize county data using a racial equity lens. By focusing on disaggregated data by race, and then calculating rates of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents, we were able to get a better understanding of the effects of COVID on racial/ethnic groups. In turn, this helped equity professionals to advocate for additional resources, support, and campaign strategies to reach communities of color in a meaningful way.
An Equity Profile of Pinellas County (2019)
Reducing inequity correlates with more stable economies, more capacity to rebound from economic downturns, growth in overall academic performance, increased life expectancy, reduced infant mortality, and increased civic participation. This report defines and launches an agenda for Pinellas County focused on an inclusive economy and justice that materially impacts the measures of equity.
Read the SummaryFocus on Education: Pinellas County Community Indicator Report (2018)
The Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg and Pinellas Education Foundation have formed a strategic partnership to advance equitable educational outcomes and boost education quality for all students in Pinellas County. The partnership launched with a series of research reports on key education topics, entitled Focus on Education. This is the first report, which explores the community indicators related to college and career readiness, access and affordability, college performance, workforce and economic outcomes, and degree attainment.
Read the ReportFocus on Education: Career and Technical Education (2019)
The Foundation for a Healthy St. Petersburg and Pinellas Education Foundation have formed a strategic partnership to advance equitable educational outcomes and boost education quality for all students in Pinellas County. The partnership launched with a series of research reports on key education topics, entitled Focus on Education. This is the second report, which focuses on the growth and importance of Career Technical Education.
Read the ReportPinellas County Nonprofit Assessment (2018)
To explore the assets, challenges and opportunities faced by the nonprofit sector, the workgroup pursued a mixed- methods approach, including a high-level scan of the current state of knowledge on nonprofits in Pinellas County, an administration of a survey to all nonprofits in Pinellas County reporting revenue in 2013-2017, and a deeper exploration using a targeted, semi-structured interview with leadership of organizations focused on social determinants of health.
Learn MoreHealth Equity in Pinellas County (2018)
County Health Rankings rank Pinellas County 26th out of 67 Florida counties for health outcomes—behind Hillsborough, Orange and Sarasota counties. A closer look at Pinellas County reveals important differences in social determinants across socioeconomic factors, physical environment, clinical care, and health behaviors, in addition to clear differences in health outcomes. These differences can tell us where to target our efforts to create a healthier Pinellas.
Read the ReportHome: A Path to Health Equity Through Housing
Housing inequities are a major driver of disparate health outcomes in our community. This report explores the social and structural inequities of housing while exploring system and sector opportunities to forge a countywide effort to create safe, decent, and affordable housing for everyone.
Learn MoreFoundation-Supported Research
The Foundation helped fund a research report to better understand why racial disparities in homeless exist and what can be done to alleviate them.
The Foundation issued a grant to support a civic health study commissioned by the League of Women Voters of the St. Petersburg Area. Learn more about neighborhood cohesion, community and political participation, and more.
Research Blog Posts
Water of Systems Change Workshop
As a learning organization, we at the Foundation are committed to continuous knowledge–building about ideas and approaches that are shaping our work. This commitment to learning and growth helps ensure all the members of our team are “speaking the same language”—a key requirement for not only sustaining our work but also for walking together with […]
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 […]
Community Asset Mapping
By Dr. Stephanie Rosado, Senior Research, Evaluation and Learning Associate On February 26th, 2025, the Foundation hosted a data walk, an innovative engagement strategy designed to share the research findings from our recent The South St. Pete Health Equity Profile with local community members. This interactive event featured five distinct data stations, each allowing community […]