Over the years, the Ottawa Community Foundation (OCF) has adapted its efforts to better meet the community’s needs. Recently, we’ve spent some time reviewing and enhancing OCF’s data practices—how we track, interpret, and ultimately use data to fulfill our mission. As we enter the spring season, a time of renewal and reflection, it’s an opportune moment to delve into data and explore how it shows the changing community and world.
The World of Impact Data
Spring serves as a fitting analogy for evaluating our community’s progress. Just as the first signs of the season remind us of those important tasks around the house, they also remind us to take a moment to consider and explore how the organization could more effectively support our communities. Impact data can play a crucial role in this assessment.
But where do we begin? In an era of data abundance, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. While many are familiar with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their global aims, applying them locally can be challenging. That’s where the Canadian Indicator Framework comes in. Developed by Statistics Canada, it aligns with the SDGs while tailoring goals to Canada’s unique context.
Contextualizing Data from Global to Local – Some Encouraging Signs
While the global scale of the SDGs may seem distant from our daily lives in Ottawa, the Canadian Indicator Framework provides tangible targets for us to work towards. For example, while we may not track the number of Ottawans living on $1.25 a day, we can use the Canadian Framework to monitor our official poverty line.
Children in Low-Income Families (Ottawa)
When applying this lens, we can find data more relevant to our work locally. For example, by 2022, there was an encouraging 30% decline in the number of children and young people living in poverty since 2015. That’s progress toward Canada’s Poverty Reduction Strategy goal of lowering the 2015 baseline poverty rate by 50%.
The Challenge for all of us
However, our community still faces significant challenges, something borne out (at varying levels of scientific rigour) through public sentiment and popular opinion polls. The cost of living, especially housing, has skyrocketed. Since 2015, the average rent for a three-bedroom apartment has increased by nearly 40%, while median individual income has risen by only 21%. Affordable housing remains a pressing issue locally, mirroring concerns on the national and global scale outlined in the SDGs. This is one of several worrying trends that loom for our community.
Average Rents - Three Bedroom Units (Ottawa)
The trickiest part is not identifying and tracking the data that is important for our work, though that is no small feat. The challenge is how to effectively interpret it and approach it with humility and an open mind. The data is the first jumping-off point. There are incredible nuances and context surrounding each piece of data. It’s vital to consider all of that to ensure we can make an impact on real people in their day-to-day lives.
Looking ahead, the Ottawa Community Foundation must continue exploring the effective use of data, listening to community input, and adapting our strategies to meet evolving needs. By doing so, and always with the cherished support of our donors, we can better serve as a catalyst for positive change and continue our mission of building a more vibrant and inclusive Ottawa for all.