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Facts That Matter Blog

At the ncIMPACT Initiative, we ground our research in the challenges faced by North Carolina’s state and local leaders and their communities. Through compelling story telling, the Facts That Matter blog shares data and evidence about collaborative problem solving efforts that chart a path forward in communities across the state. We share these stories for the benefit of other communities in pursuit of our mission to improve the lives of North Carolinians.


December 20, 2021

Ensuring Student Success in 2021 and Beyond

North Carolina lawmakers set a goal of 2 million North Carolinians with a post-secondary degree or credential by 2030. Achieving this goal will keep the state economically competitive with an educated workforce, as well as improve economic outcomes for those with a credential. Education institutions, workforce development boards, and employers are implementing programs designed to help the state achieve this goal. Watch our PBS NC ncIMPACT Town Hall series episode on this topic by clicking the link at the end of the blog.

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December 20, 2021

Learn from What’s Working: National Scan of Post-Secondary Attainment Practices

The bipartisan HB664 was signed into law in 2019 to set an official goal of 2 million residents ages 25 to 44 with a postsecondary degree or credential by 2030. To support this goal, the ncIMPACT Initiative produced a National Scan of Postsecondary Attainment Practices because replicating and adapting innovative and effective practices from other communities provides a way to “flatten the learning curve” and accelerate progress.

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December 10, 2021

Economic Recovery From COVID: Legislative Testimony In Brief

Since March of 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic continues to radically remake the economic landscape of North Carolina and beyond. While local governments work to rebuild, rework, and retool existing systems and services to meet this new environment, state leaders in North Carolina are seeking to learn from the lessons of the pandemic as they chart a course for the future.

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November 9, 2021

Questions of Equity in Social Capital

Left unattended, social capital or the lack thereof has the ability to reproduce existing inequities. It also points to the importance of addressing the systemic problems that have created these inequities. However, if social capital investments are managed correctly, they can promote equity and address historic and systemic barriers to accessing social capital.

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September 15, 2021

Affordable Housing in NC – The Challenge and Promise

The affordable housing issue is more complicated than finding a home. Recent studies highlight the link between a lack of safe, affordable housing and the impact that substandard housing has on residents’ health, particularly asthma cases in young children. North Carolina faces a shortage of affordable housing, so many North Carolinians live in substandard housing that impacts their wellbeing. A Greensboro community seeks innovative ways to bring community partners together to address these challenges. Watch our PBS NC ncIMPACT Town Hall series episode on this topic by clicking the link at the end of the blog.

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May 7, 2021

Opioid Response Project Impact

The Opioid Response Project launched in 2018 and applied the Collective Impact Model to support local collaboratives in efforts to mitigate the opioid epidemic in their communities. The Opioid Response Project local teams all reported improvements in their ability to collaborate and developed action plans with strategies ranging from public information campaigns to post-overdose response teams, which they implemented.

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April 15, 2021

5 things to know about EITC and the American Rescue Plan Act

Research has found that the EITC increases participation in the labor force, particularly among single mothers, and reduces poverty. But its impacts are generally restricted to families with children. An expanded EITC for workers without qualifying children might similarly encourage work and reduce poverty among these individuals.

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March 29, 2021

School Justice Partnerships

Studies have shown exclusionary discipline practices are ineffective at improving student behavior and disproportionately impact students of color and students with disabilities. School Justice Partnerships are designed to reduce the use of exclusionary discipline and student contact with the justice system. 

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March 19, 2021

Economic Mobility (Blog)

COVID-19 exacerbated many existing issues related to the economic mobility gap, such as low-income employment, education, and small business closures. Charlotte Open for Business is a two-phase approach to both recovery from COVID-19 and strengthening the business community beyond the pandemic.

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