Research and thought leadership for community impact.
Causewave–in partnership with other nonprofits, community groups and professional researchers–is at the forefront of research initiatives focused on understanding major challenges facing our region, including workforce development, racism, discrimination and hate.
Nonprofit Talent Pipeline
The Nonprofit Talent Pipeline initiative is part of Causewave's commitment to building a strong and vibrant nonprofit sector.
We believe nonprofits serve a critical role in our communities and they deserve top talent. We recently conducted research to better understand the nonprofit talent pipeline in Western NY in partnership with Community Wealth Partners and supported by Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation. Our research identified trends for attracting, developing, and retaining nonprofit talent in WNY like better compensation, more work life balance and advancement opportunities and improved work culture.
“[In the nonprofit sector,] you knew people were motivated by something more than career or money...but until you are there, you don’t know what it feels like, the personal element of actually meeting people you serve, who aren’t buying your product as customers but who are consuming your services as vital to their well-being...just WOW.”
— Sector Changer Focus Group Participant
Race and Media
Causewave’s 2018 study on representations of race in local news media –Shaping Our Stories – was repeated in 2020. Since then, Causewave has led the continuation of conversations between community and media professionals. This initiative has been designed to lead to improvements in the way local media tells the stories of the whole community, with a special focus on storytelling in and about communities of color.
The State of Hate
In partnership with the Jewish Federation’s Levine Center to End Hate, Causewave conducted a first-of-its-kind local survey that looked at discrimination faced by multiple subgroups in Greater Rochester area.