Introduction to the Data Capacity Building Initiative
North Texas nonprofits are using an innovative database to understand and address different barriers to well-being in the community. The Data Capacity Building Initiative by the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas and the Parkland Center for Clinical Innovation (PCCI) allows nonprofits to see where help is needed most, using the Community Vulnerability Compass. Over the next five years, the initiative will give United Way’s 200-plus nonprofit partners comprehensive data to inform their work.
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The Community Vulnerability Compass
United Way has used the tool for the past four years, and the organization is now extending the resource to its partners to help them expand the impact of their services, said Jennifer Sampson, McDermott-Templeton president and CEO of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. (United Way of Metropolitan Dallas supports The Dallas Morning News’ Future of North Texas initiative.)
United Way officials said these partnerships will help it in achieving its Aspire United 2030 Community Goals. United Way launched the initiative five years ago to increase the share of third grade students reading on grade level by 50%, to grow the number of young adults earning a living wage by 20% and to bolster the number of people with access to affordable health insurance to 96%, Sampson said.
Sasha Kehoe of Delighted to Doula (right) speaks as Prinscilla Moore, CEO and founder of Delighted to Doula, looks on during a presentation at the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas office, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in Dallas.
Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer
How the Community Vulnerability Compass Works
The Community Vulnerability Compass provides a comprehensive look at 26 different factors that impact one’s well-being, such as health insurance, educational attainment, housing conditions, transportation and income, said Lance Rather, senior director of product and strategic partnerships at PCCI.
The compass also tracks this data at the ZIP code, census tract and block-group level, which has allowed the nonprofits to identify 100,000 additional Dallas County residents that were never seen at the ZIP code level alone, Rather said.
Community Impact
“It’s provided a road map for equity, sustainability and measurable impact in Dallas County,” said Prinscilla Moore, CEO and founder of Delighted to Doula, a nonprofit postpartum doula service.
By using the data, Delighted to Doula increased postpartum visit attendance by 45% in areas with high barriers to maternal health care, Moore said. The nonprofit also identified additional ZIP codes that could benefit from the organization’s service, and it expanded service for culturally competent care, particularly for Spanish-speaking communities, she said.
Shawn Martin, strategic initiatives manager at the North Texas Food Bank, presents at an event at the United Way of Metropolitan Dallas office, Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2025, in Dallas.
Chitose Suzuki / Staff Photographer
Nonprofits Benefit from the Initiative
Shawn Martin, strategic initiatives manager at the North Texas Food Bank, said United Way’s database helps the food bank understand more
