First user guide released to assist in Vibrancy Portal exploration

Information and technology are important tools that can help organizations and communities define and reach their goals, but sometimes aggregating the data can be overwhelming.

To assist nonprofits, social enterprises, and local leaders in gathering data insights through the Vibrancy Portal, New Sun Rising has released an educational video to guide users through the community data Explorer. 

This function can help gain a better understanding of a community’s capital by providing access to actionable data insights and calculating indices. The overall Vibrancy Index is composed of 50 factors for equitable, sustainable communities, with sub-indices in Culture, Sustainability, Opportunity, and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

“The Vibrancy Index shows specific needs in specific places, and if an organization is trying to align themselves with whatever they’re doing, that data is a really good place to start,” said Anthony Harper, co-founder and lead instructor at Beta Builders. 

Democratizing data can help underserved communities be more competitive for resources, and research shows that organizations and collaboratives with high data cultures benefit through increased funding, stronger internal and external relationships, and more effective operations. 

This is the first video in the Vibrancy User Guides series and gives a general overview of how to use Places, Indicators, and Analysis. Future videos will take an individual look at these three topics to provide a deeper understanding of each.

The Vibrancy Portal is part of New Sun Rising’s Power in Numbers initiative that combines data, technology, organizing, communication, and creativity to help people advocate for the future they envision.