Vital Signs Article #1

Charity report card aims to help 'build a better place'
Published Monday August 11th, 2008
Appeared on Page A1
By SHAWN BERRY

Editor's note: This is the first in a weekly series that will focus on the Fredericton Community Foundation's first Vital Signs report. The examination of quality of life in Fredericton will pinpoint areas where community efforts should be focused.


Fredericton has earned its share of accolades of late. It was in the running to be named smartest city in the world, it's been named one of the five best places to live in Canada and it was identified as one of the top 10 micro cities in North America.

Now the Fredericton Community Foundation is preparing a report card of its own - one that will show the lay of the land in Fredericton when it comes to quality of life. The report card will also pinpoint areas where the community can make improvements.

"There are a lot of reports that come out and put us in a very good light,'' said Jamie Petrie, chairman of the board of the Fredericton Community Foundation. "I think our report will be helpful because whatever problems are indicated, and there no doubt will be problems, we as a foundation and a community can combat those and build a better place.''

The community foundation is one of 15 across Canada - and one of just two in Atlantic Canada - examining the situation in their communities. Fredericton's Vital Signs report will be released at the same time as the others on October 7. Using statistics compiled from a variety of sources, the report will provide an overview of Fredericton's quality of life and consolidate it in a single document.
"It will be a warts-and-all approach and we're going to publish it whether we look great as a city or whether it identifies areas we need to work on," Petrie said.

The report will rank Fredericton on 11 indicators: the child poverty rate, criminal code traffic crime offences, life expectancy, completion of high school, rental vacancy rates, immigrant income, number of charities spending on arts and culture, air quality, job growth, voter turnout and the ability to get around on public transportation.

"I'm not expecting a bleak picture on any of these. I think Fredericton does a great job. I love the city and that's why I live here, but I do think it will be a report that will add some value to this discussion we keep having," Petrie said. He said the intent of the report is to help increase the impact and effectiveness of giving. It will inform donors - both existing and prospective - about ways they can be more proactive or give in a more-focused way.

The report card process has been conducted by some community foundations around the country for years. In those places, the report has been credited with increased charitable giving. Petrie said he also hopes the report raises the profile of the 52-year-old Fredericton Community Foundation.

The foundation - which has one of the largest charitable funds in the province - provides about $200,000 in funding to community organizations in Fredericton every year. The money is from interest generated from an $8-million fund. The foundation also makes a point of providing one major grant every year. It usually amounts to about $25,000. That grant will now go to a major issue highlighted in the report.

"The (intent) of the board is to focus that major grant every year on something that is identified in this report and really throw a lot of money at one particular area."