Our 2022 Community Aspirations Assessment
The 2022 Community Aspirations Assessment was a 4-month process involving surveys and small group “community conversations” with over 1,700 residents of Monterey County. The goal was to understand community members’ needs, aspirations, and ideas for improving quality of life. This assessment gathered insights and recommendations from both adults and youth across the county. The report compiles these insights to reflect the community’s collective vision and priorities.
Check out our Findings
Want a rundown of the results? Watch this animated video series that goes over the findings from our latest (2022) Community Aspirations Assessment. Then, take the survey to tell us what positive change looks like for you!
Check Out Previous Years' Assessments
FAQs
Impact Monterey County (IMC) is a collaborative effort of nonprofits, public agencies and community working together to identify the most effective ways to improve life in our county.
In 2015, after nearly two years of planning, the first Community Assessment in Monterey County involved about 7,400 survey respondents and 400 community conversation participants. They articulated a vision, set values, and identified community priorities. This led to the formation of Impact Monterey County (IMC), which aimed to improve life in the county based on these findings and best practices. In 2019, a second assessment was conducted with over 3,000 survey respondents and 154 community conversation participants to track changes in community aspirations. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 prompted a shift in the focus of the report to a “vision for recovery.”
The latest assessment in 2022, detailed in the report, involved 1,653 survey respondents and 56 community conversation participants. This assessment aimed to ensure findings were more representative of the community by comparing survey respondent demographics to census data and targeting underrepresented groups. This effort included collaboration with local organizations and strategies developed by students at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, involving the Middlebury Social Impact Corps students in distributing survey tools. The report highlights findings from the 2022 assessment and shares community insights and experiences.
Residents of Monterey County shared their personal stories and lived experiences through surveys and interviews, revealing common themes across various data collection methods. They expressed a strong desire for more engagement opportunities with public officials and an increase in community events, emphasizing the importance of connection within neighborhoods and cities.
The assessment provides valuable insights for local non-profits, government, and funders, pinpointing where community efforts and desires for change are concentrated. It also offers recommendations to address pressing issues collaboratively, highlighting the need for improved communication and partnership between community members and agencies.
If you are interested in learning more about the data from the 2022 Community Aspirations Assessment or looking into a particular dataset please reach out to Kalyssa King at kalyssa.king@unitedwaymcca.org