At United Way of Metropolitan Dallas, data drives our every decision.  

We leverage micro-level, hyper-local data to identify the areas of greatest need and opportunity across our community. Data informs our targeted interventions that enable us to change lives by improving access to education, income and health for 1.7 million North Texans every year.  

Through programs like the Data Capacity Building Initiative (DCBI), we also share the power of local data with our community impact partners and accelerate progress toward our community-wide Aspire United 2030 goals. The DCBI leverages the Community Vulnerability Compass—a tool developed by our third-party evaluation partner, the Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation— to enable users to visualize and understand the complexities of social barriers to health, access and well-being in North Texas communities.  

The DCBI is helping nonprofits like Lone Star Justice Alliance tell their data story for policy change and community impact.  

To share the power and potential of the Community Vulnerability Compass, United Way of Metropolitan Dallas hosted our first-ever DCBI funders presentation this summer, featuring the inaugural DCBI 12-member cohort. These community-based nonprofits are using data to drive measurable impact in North Texas. During this funders presentation, Elizabeth Henneke, founder and CEO of Lone Star Justice Alliance, discussed the importance of data to understand and address the root causes of community challenges and influence policymaking.  

Below are highlights from Elizabeth’s presentation as it relates to using data-informed decision-making to drive policy change.  

Partnering with United Way to Redefine Justice Involvement 

In the early years of Lone Star Justice Alliance, the organization launched pilot community-based programs in partnership with United Way. They focused on driving change by addressing the root causes of justice involvement.  

At the DCBI funders event, Elizabeth asked the audience to close their eyes and imagine investing $5 billion dollars in a company that fails 75% of the time and punishes instead of heals.  

“[Y]ou wouldn’t invest $5 billion in a company that failed 75% of the time. Yet you all do,” she said. “Because in Texas every year, we invest $5 billion in a justice system that punishes instead of heals. It doesn’t address the Aspire United 2030 goals. And instead, it takes us further from the goalpost that all of us are here to achieve.” 

As a member of the first DCBI cohort, Lone Star Justice Alliance has accelerated progress toward its goal of preventing justice involvement for young North Texans.  

Using CVC Data to Advance Policy at the State Capitol   

During the 89th Texas legislative session, Lone Star Justice Alliance used data from the Community Vulnerability Compass to influence policy change. Elizabeth shared how she and her colleagues used the Community Vulnerability Compass to drill down to district-level data to make arguments that were customized to the legislators in the capitol, revealing to lawmakers what’s going on in their community.    

Backed by this valuable local data, Elizabeth and her team achieved significant advocacy wins: They reduced by 40% the number of children going to adult court in the state of Texas; prevented survivors of crime, especially children who are sex trafficked, from being convicted of the crimes of their abusers; and established an affirmative defense for people who have been victims to not be charged for the crimes of their abusers.  

Using Data to Change Lives 

Elizabeth then shared the client story of Jaquan, who became involved in the juvenile justice system. She described how Lone Star Justice Alliance used Community Vulnerability Compass data to show how social determinants of health, such as a lack of transportation, can put young people on the path to justice involvement. 

“We then took the Community Vulnerability Compass information with him to court, and we were able to show his probation officer that his failure to be able to get to work on time was due to the lack of transportation in his area and not because our client had some sort of deficit,” she explained. “Through conversations like that, we’re changing the way people think about Jaquan and others.” 

As a result of Lone Star Justice Alliance’s representation, Jaquan was able to get his driver’s license and access job readiness training, which enabled him to complete occupational training as an electrician. He’s now earning $22 an hour in his apprenticeship position—an inspiring testament to the power of data for creating meaningful change in people’s lives.  

Learn More About the DCBI 

Click here to learn more about how the DCBI Second Century Project is equipping nonprofits with an innovative Community Vulnerability Compass tool to capture hyper-local data to pinpoint areas of greatest need, and fine-tune initiatives to better address social barriers to education, income and health.  

Invest in Our Data-Driven Community Impact Work   

As United Way enters its second century, the path forward is clear: We must continue building strong partnerships and leveraging innovative tools to create lasting, transformational change in North Texas.    

We invite you to join the forward-thinking organizations that have invested in our Century Project, the Data Capacity Building Initiative. Together, we can expand our proven, data-driven community impact strategy and our use of local data to develop collective solutions for our community.    

Click here to invest today. For more information, contact Susan Hoff at shoff@unitedwaydallas.org.