Social Capital Community Benchmark Survey
Community Highlights For New Hampshire

[Community Highlights] [Success Stories [1] [2][Press Release (PDF)]
[Survey Highlights (PDF)] [Public Policy]

Sponsor:
New Hampshire Charitable Foundation

Media Contact
Laura D. Simoes, Director of Marketing and Communications
Phone 603-225-6641 ext. 244
Address 37 Pleasant Street
Email address ls@nhcf.org
Web address www.nhcf.org

Sample size:
711

Survey Area:
State of New Hampshire with oversamples in Cheshire County and in I-93, Route 3 corridor.

Community type:
Mainly suburban and rural.

Population:
1.2 million
US Census, 1999 Current Population Survey

Ethnicity:
White: 97%
Black: 1%
Asian: 1%
Hispanic: 2%
US Census, 1999 CPS

Age:
Under 18: 25%
18-34: 23%
35-49: 26%
50-64: 14%
65+: 11%
US Census, 1999 CPS

Additional Information:

There has been rapid increase in population due to in-migration since 1999. NH ranks #5 in the US on this measure. Estimates for age may be too high in that much of the in-migration has been by younger people. Also, education estimates may significantly underestimate the percentage of NH residents with college degrees as many of the new jobs created in recent years have been in high tech/ IT fields which require advanced degrees.

What are you going to do about the results:

• We have rewritten the NHCF Grant guidelines which now include Social
  Capital grant information and have sent these to 4000 NH nonprofits.
  
• A new web page will go up on March 1 with Social Capital info, tools, resources, at www.bettertogethernh.org
• We are working with the University of New Hampshire as they build a Consortium on Effective Communities - a partnership across all academic disciplines and institutions to carry out applied research on, and support for, Social Capital program work in state.
• NHCF is partnering with a new health foundation on the relationship between Public Health and Social Capital.
• We are establishing a "learning Circle" of organizational consultants and key agencies to work together to design agency-specific programs to strengthen Social Capital in their work.
  

* The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation will continue extensive program of community-based discussions, (across the sectors of government, business, media, not for profit, community) to create awareness, build constituency for recognition of Social Capital as key resource.

• Rewritten Grant guidelines have been mailed by the Foundation to 1600 New Hampshire nonprofit organizations. Guidelines now include explicit discussion of social capital as a New Hampshire Charitable Foundation funding priority.
  
• A new web page will go up on 3/l with SC info, tools, resources, etc -- bettertogetherNH.org
  
• The Foundation is working with the University of New Hampshire to build a Consortium on Effective Communities - an Institute across all academic disciplines and institutions to carry out applied research on, and support for, social capital program work in state.
  
• The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation is partnering with a new health foundation on the relationship between public health and social capital.
  
• The Foundation is establishing a "learning circle" of organizational consultants, key agencies and academic partners to together design agency-specific programs to strengthen social capital in their work.