Rauch Foundation Looks for New Home for the Long Island Index
Issues Request for Proposals to Identify Institutions Interested in Operating the Index with Continued Foundation Support
Garden City, NY – April 19, 2016 – The Rauch Foundation created the Long Island Index in 2003 to provide a source of unbiased reliable data for businesses, nonprofits, civic organizations, educators, and governments throughout the region. Funded by the Foundation, the Index measures conditions on Long Island and shows trends over time, encourages regional thinking, compares Long Island’s situation with those in similar regions, increases awareness of issues and their interrelatedness, and works to inspire Long Islanders to work together to achieve shared goals. The Index’s reports, interactive maps, and other data are available at www.longislandindex.org.
When the Foundation created the Index, it did so with the intention of initiating it and demonstrating the value of its work but always with the expectation that at some point the Index would be turned over to another organization to operate it in the long run. After 13 years, the time to identify that other organization has arrived.
“The Long Island Index is now well-established as the preeminent source of objective data on the region,” said Nancy Rauch Douzinas, President of the Rauch Foundation and Publisher of the Long Island Index. “Its value has been proven repeatedly through its research and analysis on a wide range of indicators measuring overall progress in the region and, most recently, on the interrelationship of three in particular: economy, housing and transportation. With the Index’s role now clear, it’s time for the Foundation to find a permanent home for it – one that will provide a sound setting for its future work with continued support and involvement from the Foundation.”
The Rauch Foundation will, therefore, issue today a Request for Proposals (RFP) to identify nonprofit organizations or institutions on Long Island that are interested in becoming the permanent home for the Long Island Index. The RFP will be sent to universities, foundations, and other nonprofit organizations on Long Island and is also available on the Index’s website, so that any interested organization can respond.
Through the RFP process, the Foundation is looking for an organization – or possibly more than one – that has the following characteristics: a strong passionate voice to contribute to helping Long Island develop to its fullest potential; independence from political, ideological or commercial interests of a larger organization; a clear vision for the future and an understanding of how its research would contribute to moving that vision forward; a commitment to addressing Long Island’s future in a regional manner, with Nassau and Suffolk together; recognized leadership in its area of expertise, and a staff or plans to hire a staff needed to develop high-quality research products.
The Foundation is also interested in an organization that has a strong commitment to working collaboratively: to nurture relationships with other organizations and to promote public-private partnerships. The Long Island Index has maintained an Advisory Committee comprising individuals from civic organizations, universities, not-for-profits and businesses to provide counsel on key projects and issues to be researched. The Foundation would expect any new organizational home to continue to maintain an advisory or governing group that would review decisions, research plans and weigh in on research questions to be pursued, and the Foundation would want to remain involved by having a seat on the new Advisory or Governing Committee.
“The Foundation is not looking for an organization to necessarily duplicate what the Index has done in the past,” said Ann Golob, Director of the Long Island Index. “We think the Index is ripe for a re-visioning, and we welcome new ideas about how to use research, surveys, mapping and any other possible tools to address Long Island’s future.”
The Foundation expects to continue funding the Index to support its operation at the selected organization. The Foundation is also interested in the ability of the organization to raise its own funds for the work of the Index. The RFP process envisions the selection of a new organization by April of 2017.
“The Long Island Index has a crucial role to play in the region,” added Nancy Rauch Douzinas. “The Rauch Foundation is firmly committed to the Index and believes that securing a permanent home for it is the best way to ensure a sound, dynamic, and influential future for the Index and for its voice in the evolution of the region.”
For further information, contact Henry Miller – hmiller@highimpactpartnering.com or 917-921-8034.