Understanding Local Needs. Driving Collective Action.
Cobb Vital Signs is a countywide initiative led by Cobb Community Foundation and Neighborhood Nexus, in partnership with Kennesaw State University, to strengthen community well-being across Cobb County.
By combining data, community voices, and cross-sector collaboration, Vital Signs helps our community better understand what’s happening beneath the surface—and how we can respond together.
What Is Vital Signs?
Vital Signs is a long-term, community-driven program that brings together research, lived experience, and local insight to:
- Identify gaps, overlaps, and unmet needs in services
- Highlight areas of greatest urgency
- Understand the root causes driving residents to seek support
The result is a public Cobb Vital Signs Report and interactive data tools that nonprofits, funders, businesses, government, and community members can use to inform decisions, align resources, and coordinate action.
Why this Matters
Too often, data about community needs lives in silos. Vital Signs creates a shared understanding of what residents are experiencing and how systems intersect.
These insights will:
- Inform strategic investment in programs and services
- Strengthen collaboration across sectors
- Guide smarter grantmaking, policy, and resource allocation
- Support long-term improvements in community well-being
This work ensures decisions are grounded in real data, real voices, and real needs—not assumptions.
How the Work Happens
Cobb Community Foundation is partnering with Kennesaw State University and Neighborhood Nexus to gather and analyze data through:
- Community surveys and interviews
- Focus groups and stakeholder engagement
- Existing public data and updated heat maps
Findings will be shared publicly through reports, visual tools, and community events.
Project Timeline
- Spring–Summer 2025: Community engagement and early data collection
- Fall 2025: Survey and interview development
- Winter–Spring 2026: Countywide data collection and analysis
- Summer 2026: Report, heat maps, and findings released
- Fall 2026 and beyond: Ongoing collaboration and action
How You Can Get Involved
- Nonprofits & Service Providers: Help share surveys, provide insight, and use findings to strengthen programs and partnerships.
- Businesses & Funders: Support the initiative through sponsorship or aligned investment and help drive cross-sector solutions.
- Community Members: Share your experiences, attend report-back events, and help spread the word.
Building on Previous Community Data Efforts
Cobb Vital Signs builds on years of community data collection and analysis already underway in Cobb County. These earlier efforts provide important context, trends, and baseline insights that inform and strengthen the Vital Signs initiative.
Explore past data and findings to see how community needs have been identified and mapped over time:
