About Vital Signs
Vancouver Foundation’s Vital Signs is a multi-faceted ‘snap shot’ of the livability and wellness of participating cities and regions across Metro Vancouver. It tells the story of what it’s like to live in the Metro Vancouver Region, formerly known as the Greater Vancouver Regional District.  Vancouver Foundation’s Vital Signs combines data from a public opinion survey, secondary research from available data sources, and citizen grading on key aspects of community life (e.g. transportation, security, health). For each key issue area, data indicators OR ‘the facts’, are compared to citizen perceptions as captured by electronic grading.

Vital Signs serves as one of the key inputs used by Vancouver Foundation to inform strategic direction as well as positioning Vancouver Foundation with donors, agencies, government and other stakeholders as a leading knowledge resource in the community.  Vancouver Foundation’s Vital Signs is also an important tool to engage and inform community dialogue around issues of importance within the Metro Vancouver Region.

Vancouver Foundation, as Canada’s largest community foundation has a key role and responsibility for leading the dialogue on community vitality.  Vital Signs has become known as an excellent mechanism for initiating and supporting that dialogue within the larger community.

Vancouver Foundation’s Vital Signs 2010 represents the fourth year of production of a Vital Signs report.  Vital Signs 2006 focused on the City of Vancouver while in 2007 and 2008, the scope of Vital Signs was expanded to include the entire Metro Vancouver Region.

 

 

Purpose of Vital Signs
The purpose of Vital Signs 2010 is twofold: firstly to address Vancouver Foundation’s key information needs regarding community vitality and wellness.  In essence, it serves as a platform to inform strategic and operational priorities for the organization.

Secondly, it is a key mechanism for initiating and supporting dialogue between stakeholders regarding community vitality within the Metro Vancouver Region.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Objectives of Vital Signs
Understanding the needs of the communities that Vancouver Foundation serves is critical to short and long term success.  Much has been learned through the production of Vital Signs in previous years – the initiative has sparked dialogue among Vancouver Foundation’s stakeholders.  Vital Signs has also heightened public awareness around issues requiring substantive attention and action.

*written by Lidia Kemeny