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Greater Milwaukee Foundation’s online tool to track impact of donations

By Tom Held of the Journal Sentinel
Posted: Nov. 17, 2009

The Greater Milwaukee Foundation has launched an online gauge of hardship in the metropolitan area to help target charitable donations and track the impact of support for basic needs assistance.

Vital Signs appeared on the foundation’s Web site for the first time Monday.

Using simple charts, the site provides data on unemployment, food stamp use, foreclosure filings, W-2 case loads, home foreclosures and calls to the 211 social services hotline for food and shelter assistance.

The University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Employment and Training Institute collects and analyzes the information posted on the Web page.

Doug Jansson, president of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, said the upward trends on the poverty measures will help show how the recession affects people in Milwaukee, Washington, Waukesha and Ozaukee counties.

“Vital Signs can help us understand what the facts and figures mean,” and it will provide information about programs successfully addressing the issues and ways people can help, he said.

To view the site, go to Vital Signs.