Supporting Niagara with Ground-level Research and Resources
Community Potential is an invaluable resource for any organization or group looking to improve the well-being of Niagara’s residents. In addition to making new local data and research readily accessible and understandable, Community Potential provides an exchange of expertise for local community initiatives.
Achieving Community Potential
with Collective Action
Through our combined experience, we have seen the desire for organizations to work together, but often be left with such limited resources that collaboration becomes a real challenge. Community Potential recognizes the spirit of collective action that already exists, and provides a home for it! We know we all have the greatest chance to strengthen the community by working cooperatively across sectors.
Share resources and capacity to reach goals
Engage diverse perspectives that leave no one behind
Find individuals interested in your cause
When you work with Community Potential, we will help to strategically guide you through a research-rich process, and connect you with others across the community who are working toward similar goals.
How is Community Potential supporting you and your community?
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Providing community-based research that is unique to current realities
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Making community-based research available and understandable
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Broadening the discourse on emergent and unaddressed issues
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Providing a wide breadth of expertise to support community initiatives
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Guiding emergent community conversations
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Facilitating collaboration, project management and evaluation
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Bringing support to small and fledgling community groups with the potential to grow
Community Potential Services
Living in Niagara Report (LIN)
Provides a snapshot of the quality of life in Niagara based on extensive evidence and expertise
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Currently published every 3 years, with an annual update element to begin in 2024
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Provides a holistic view of Niagara’s socio-economic assets, including organized data related to each of the 11 Living in Niagara sectors
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Sectors include: Arts, Culture & Heritage; Community Belonging; Community Safety; Economic Prosperity; Environment; Health and Wellness; Housing and Shelter; Learning and Education; Recreation and Sports; Transportation and Mobility; Work and Employment
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Each sector includes a summary with Suggested Community Action Steps, supported by a multi-page technical report with comprehensive data sets, for sector Indicators
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Utilized by the Niagara Community Foundation as a core research document for assessing needs/opportunities in their granting programs
Knowledge-sharing and mobilization tool, which includes a community calendar to highlight upcoming events, as well as a Community Blog
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Regularly updated with the latest publications and resources from Niagara, the NKE provides an opportunity for any community organization to submit their upcoming events.
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Provides a place to share information about upcoming projects in which Community Potential is engaged, and receive requests for resources or partnership opportunities .
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Through the NKE, anybody can subscribe to receive our monthly newsletter, which provides links to evidence recently posted to the NKE, and follow our work through social media
From Niagara Connects to Community Potential[NG1]
From Niagara Connects to Community Potential
From Niagara Connects to Community Potential
Niagara Connects published the first Living in Niagara quality of life report in 2008, and provides evidence-informed insights to inform planning for a stronger future for Niagara. With the closure of INCommunities, Niagara Connects’ former home, Niagara Connects’ offerings have moved to a new home: Community Potential.
The Armstrong Strategy Group (ASG), and Niagara Connects worked in partnership to build Community Potential, with support from the Niagara Community Foundation. The vision is to continue and grow the Living in Niagara report and Niagara Knowledge Exchange; and to enrich and build Niagara Connects’ capacity.
ASG has always been a values-driven firm, working to ensure that people and community benefit from our expertise. Community Potential was created as a social enterprise to house the work of Niagara Connects (including the Niagara Knowledge Exchange and the Living in Niagara Report), an asset we know is essential to the well-being of our community by gathering, curating and sharing reliable information and knowledge.
We understand communities as broad, organic entities where economic success and prosperity are shaped by the efforts of individuals, businesses and organizations operating at all levels of society: we are rooted in the community, and its success is our primary concern. Together, alongside our community, we can strengthen our collective outcomes.
“The Niagara Community Foundation is excited to see Niagara Connects and Community Potential aligning resources and building capacity to strengthen Niagara’s community knowledge assets. We strongly support their work of engaging people in diverse sectors to gather, share, and learn from evidence to inform collective action. Their combined efforts will strengthen community outcomes by enhancing focused planning that reflects changing contexts.”
Bryan Rose, Executive Director, Niagara Community Foundation
Age Friendly Niagara Council
Coordination of a collaborative network led by older adult volunteers and allied organizations Support for Niagara-wide information-sharing Building up collaborative action infrastructure across 12 local municipalities Community engagement, knowledge mobilization, evaluation, network mapping, facilitation of shared learning events
More Initiatives from Community Potential
Coalition to End Violence Against Women (CEVAW)
Network and systems mapping to develop a referral pathway tool Working to ensure effective and efficient referrals are being made across service providers working in the gender-based violence sector in Niagara
Neighbourhoods 101
A group of neighbourhood-level community organizers working together to establish an umbrella organization that can help provide guidance for emerging Neighbourhood Associations Built off of work done with Armstrong Strategy Group in 2023 Community Potential provides backbone support for this initiative as they continue to organize and finalize their goals/strategic direction
The Trauma Informed Approach Project
This work originated as a partnership between Armstrong Strategy Group and the University of Buffalo’s Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care, with funding from Pen Financial Credit Union This project includes training and knowledge sharing events to increase understanding and skills Currently, the project is pursuing providing training at the neighbourhood level, beginning with downtown St. Catharine’s businesses accessing training for their public-facing employees
Subscribers
Hundreds of people and organizations contribute to the growth and sustainability of Community Potential, Niagara Connects, and our broad knowledge-sharing and exchange network. Together we are building up capacity to utilize reliable evidence to inform decision-making, through the Living in Niagara quality of life report and the Niagara Knowledge Exchange (NKE). Several community partners invest in Niagara Connects subscription and services. They receive customized support for community engagement; cross-sectoral evidence exchange; learning about what’s emerging; and opportunities to share and contribute to Niagara Connects network activity.
Community Potential and Niagara Connects thank our subscribers for investing in our collaborative work, and in the community. Together, we can build a stronger future for people in Niagara!
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In the spirit of reconciliation, we acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Canada and their connections to land, sea and community.
We recognize that the Niagara region is situated on treaty land that has a rich history of First Nations, including Hatiwendaronk, the Haudenosaunee, and the Anishinaabe, including the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. This land is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties and is within the land protected by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Agreement.
We pay our respect to their Elders past and present and extend that respect to all Indigenous peoples today.