Starting with Assets: Needs Assessments and Serving Our Partners

When communities initiate community-based participatory research and Extension efforts, they often begin by cataloging their problems. Unfortunately, they frequently end up with what feels like an overwhelming laundry list of deficiencies. While understanding challenges is essential, an asset-based philosophy recognizes that every community, regardless of size or challenges, possesses a wealth of talents, skills, and resources. Rather than asking "what's wrong here?" we begin by asking "what exists here that we can build upon?"

From the NCRCRD perspective, we follow an analogous approach with our partners, the thirty-four land-grant institutions that serve the North Central Region. Since 2020, we have traveled to and visited with well more than half of our partner land-grant institutions. While we make our way across the region for face-to-face visits, we also meet with representatives from our partner institutions through participation in a wide range of meetings, workshops, and conferences. When we meet with our partners, we continually work to connect the assets found in the NCR to that of its needs, enabling us to fulfill our mission of building rural communities through cutting-edge research, Extension programs, and innovative partnerships.

Our NCR-Stat datasets embody this approach by providing open access, comprehensive baseline information that helps communities and our partners understand their current capacity across multiple dimensions. The recently released NCR-Stat Baseline Survey 2024 offers unprecedented insights into household demographics, workforce participation, civic engagement, community leadership, health and wellness, entrepreneurship, and much more across the North Central Region. This data — collected from over 4,500 households — doesn't just document challenges; it reveals the foundation of assets upon which communities can build.

What makes this particularly powerful is that our partners can freely use this data to identify existing strengths and connect them strategically with communities across our three thematic areas: creating resilient communities and economies, developing leadership and civic engagement, and promoting community health and wellness. For instance, data showing high levels of informal caregiving might reveal untapped leadership potential, as residents find solutions to complex issues, not just a deficit in available childcare seats. At the same time, information about entrepreneurial interests could highlight opportunities for economic development built on resident aspirations rather than a myopic focus on external opportunities.

As Extension professionals and land-grant institutions know well, successful and viable community-focused efforts happen when local people buy into community-led strategies and actively engage in their implementation. NCRCRD catalyzes this process by providing the data, funding opportunities, and collaborative networks that help our partners facilitate asset-based approaches in their communities. I encourage you to explore our NCR-STAT datasets and consider how our small grants, thematic working groups, fellowship opportunities, and applied research might support your own efforts. 

The North Central Regional Center for Rural Development (NCRCRD) is pleased to announce the award recipients of the 2025 Small Grants for Rural Development Research and/or Extension Projects in the North Central Region.

Offered annually, the NCRCRD competitive small grant program seeks to enhance the ability of the North Central Region’s (NCR) 34 land-grant institutions (LGIs) to positively influence the quality of life in the region’s rural areas.

Recent Work Utilizing NCR-Stat Survey Data