Understanding Grow and Its Impact in the Greater Evansville Region

What is Grow, and why does it matter to our community?

Grow is a platform that equips nonprofits, donors, funders, and community leaders with the tools and knowledge they need to make informed decisions and create lasting impact in the Greater Evansville Region. It offers free access to training, practical resources, and regional data through SAVI—helping organizations build their capacity, understand community needs, and plan strategically.

What makes Grow especially valuable is that it brings trusted educational resources, consultants, training, and data together in one place. Nonprofits can find support to strengthen their operations through capacity-building training and can explore shared data and insights that guide informed decision-making. The same can be done for donors and funders. By supporting collaboration and offering tools for sensemaking, Grow helps align efforts across our region to better serve our communities to scale their impact.

How does the inclusion of SAVI support the Grow platform?

SAVI is a data platform developed 30 years ago by The Polis Center at IU Indianapolis, part of the IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering. Originally created to support Central Indiana, SAVI has proven its value in helping communities access and use local data effectively—making it a strong addition to Grow.

By integrating SAVI into the Grow platform, it makes data easy to access, understand, and use. Through interactive maps, charts and sensemaking, SAVI helps users explore community trends and challenges from the region, county, zip, and down to neighborhood level. This kind of access to data can help organizations make decisions grounded in local context along with lived experience from their work.

What is the “Where You Live Matters” data report?

Where You Live Matters helps you explore how neighborhood conditions shape life outcomes. Through data and input from topical experts, the Grow Data Report: Where You Live Matters takes an in-depth look at the Greater Evansville region and area neighborhoods’ strengths and challenges.

This Grow Data Report shares data and insights on relevant community topics – demographics, environment, food access and security, health, housing, justice, religion, and socio-economic status. Whether you’re a nonprofit leader, policymaker, or engaged resident, understanding these factors can help drive meaningful solutions.

Why is place-based data so important in philanthropy and community work?

Where you live impacts your health, education, economic opportunities, and overall quality of life. Increasingly, evidence shows that when resources are focused down to the zip code or even neighborhood level, there is greater potential for positive, sustainable change. Delivering the data down to the neighborhood level allows philanthropic organizations and donors to tailor their strategies for the greatest impact.

How can nonprofit organizations use the “Where You Live Matters” report?

Nonprofit organizations can use the Where You Live Matters report to identify service gaps, uncover local trends, and advocate for solutions that respond to the specific needs of their communities. When paired with the lived experiences of the people they serve, the data becomes even more powerful—helping to tell a fuller, more compelling story. The report also serves as a strong starting point for collaboration, sparking conversations between organizations about shared challenges and opportunities in their neighborhoods.

How can funders and donors leverage the Grow data report?

Funders can use the Where You Live Matters report to make more informed, place-based decisions about where and how to invest. While the full report is rich with data and insights, not every section will be equally relevant to every funder. Some may focus on specific issue areas—like education, health, or housing—while others may be more interested in geographic insights at the neighborhood level. Where you live matters makes it easy to dig into the sections that align with a funder’s priorities, helping them better understand the local landscape, identify gaps in service, and support efforts that reflect both community need and opportunity. It’s a powerful tool for aligning strategy with impact.

What makes Grow different from other data initiatives?

Grow is more than a data platform—it’s a capacity-building tool designed specifically for our region. What sets it apart is the way it brings together training, resources, and community-level data in one accessible, free-to-use space. While other platforms may

require memberships or focus primarily on data access, Grow is built to support the growth and effectiveness of local organizations without barriers. It’s also designed to be nimble, responding to the needs of the region by adding data that organizations ask for and offering training based on what the community says it needs. Grow meets people where they are and helps move them forward.

How can foundations share the Grow report or get involved?

We invite foundations to explore the Where You Live Matters report and consider how a similar approach could benefit their own communities. The report reflects a collaborative effort between nonprofits, higher education, philanthropy, and data partners—a model that can be adapted and replicated elsewhere. And this is just the beginning of what Grow can offer. Foundations interested in creating a similar report or supporting a platform like Grow in their region are encouraged to reach out. We’re happy to share insights from the process and help explore how a regional, capacity-building approach can support stronger, more connected communities.

What’s next for Grow?

Grow will keep evolving to meet the needs of the region. That means expanding training opportunities, growing the resource library, and adding timely, community-relevant data to SAVI. Most importantly, Grow will continue listening—shaped by the voices of those it serves to ensure it remains a responsive and valuable tool for the region. We hope to continue to support the Greater Evansville area in becoming a more data-informed region.

Grow will also be presenting through the IPA Midwest Series Webinar on September 17. Join us for GROWing Capacity Through Data, Using SAVI and Grow to Drive Smarter Decisions and Stronger Communities