Housed in University of Baltimore’s Jacob France Institute, Baltimore Neighborhood Indicators Alliance—Jacob France Institute (BNIA-JFI) supports local government through its wide topical expertise, deep knowledge of Baltimore’s neighborhoods, and strong connections to community groups. Examples include informing the federal-local Urban Waters collaborative in its environmental activities, setting ambitious citywide goals through the Sustainable Cities Initiative, and supporting the McElderry Park neighborhood in reducing persistent crime.

In these projects and others, BNIA-JFI provides opportunities for the city of Baltimore to meaningfully engage with residents and community groups to accomplish common goals. In addition, it helps the city leverage federal and philanthropic dollars to pilot innovative cross-sector projects. BNIA-JFI’s sustained involvement also ensures that the city does not lose ground on important initiatives during political transitions. 

This case study is one of a series, including an overview brief, that demonstrate how local governments benefit from engaging with data intermediaries like BNIA-JFI and other organizations in the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP). To read the full series, visit https://www.neighborhoodindicators.org/localgovt.