HCCF has completed its 2025 Community Needs Assessment, marking the third major data-driven deep dive into the priorities, challenges, and strengths of Hendricks County. Following up on the inaugural 2019 study and the 2022 assessment, this 2025 update serves to refresh critical data resourced by organizations across the area. By gathering anonymous responses from individuals who live, work, and play in the area, the final dataset successfully mirrors the county’s key demographic groups. This extensive outreach allows the findings to be projected across the actual population with 99% accuracy and a 3% margin of error.
A primary focus of the 2025 assessment process was improving outreach to diverse communities to ensure all local voices were accurately represented. The Foundation has made steady, measurable progress on this front:
2019 Participation: People of color represented 4.5% of respondents.
2022 Participation: Representation rose to 12%.
2025 Participation: Representation climbed to 17%.
While this tracking still slightly trails the county’s 20% Census benchmark, HCCF leadership views the steady increase as a significant step forward and a clear indicator of the Foundation's ongoing commitment to deeper community engagement.
The resulting data revealed significant shifts in community urgency, specifically regarding local pain points and changing family needs since the previous surveys. The assessment highlighted several clear areas of shifting need and community progress:
Affordable Housing: Rose four spots to become the No. 2 overall need in the county.
Child & Family Pressures: "Affordable, high-quality childcare" and the "Effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)" both climbed two spots since 2022, and a striking 10 spots since 2019.
Isolated Pain Points: When asked clarifying questions, respondents decisively prioritized traffic concerns over public transit (72% vs. 28%), a raw need for childcare over early education (72% vs. 28%), and mental health services over general wellness (55% vs. 26%).
Areas of Progress: On a positive note, concerns over "Unhealthy addictions" and "Lack of communication vehicles" both dropped eight spots since 2019.
These critical insights are already being translated into direct local action, serving as an immediate blueprint for HCCF’s funding strategies. The Foundation recently channeled $777,775 in proactive Community Support Grants to five local partner organizations directly tackling these prioritized needs. Moving forward, HCCF will continue to leverage these findings to direct its upcoming grantmaking and community partnerships, ensuring that county resources are mobilized to create solutions that produce significant, widely-shared, and lasting results.
