Category: Community

Washington State Main Street Program utilizes the Belonging Barometer to assess community connection and belonging, moving beyond traditional economic metrics to enhance downtown revitalization efforts.

For decades, the revitalization of communities has been gauged by easily quantifiable metrics such as the number of new businesses, jobs created, building rehabilitations, affordable housing units, and dollars invested. While these figures are significant, they do not provide a complete picture of community health and engagement.

The Washington State Main Street Program sought to address a different question: Do residents feel a sense of belonging in their downtown areas? To explore this, the organization turned to the Belonging Barometer, a tool designed to measure community connection and inclusivity.

Supporting approximately 80 downtown organizations across the state, the Washington State Main Street Program aims to preserve historic sites while fostering vibrant, economically thriving downtowns. Despite recognizing the social value of their work—bringing neighbors together, creating welcoming spaces, and cultivating community pride—program leaders faced challenges in quantifying these outcomes.

“We’ve always known about the social impact of our work,” said Lydia Felty of the Washington State Main Street Program. “But articulating that social return on investment has been elusive.”

Traditionally, success was measured through tangible outcomes such as the number of buildings rehabilitated, new businesses opened, and jobs created. While these metrics captured economic impact, they fell short in addressing equally important questions: Do residents feel connected to their community? Do they feel welcomed in downtown spaces? Do they believe they can influence their community’s future?

“We kept asking ourselves, ‘How do you know if an event achieved something beyond bringing people downtown or increasing sales for local businesses?’” Felty explained. “Those metrics are important—but they don’t tell the full story.”

Upon learning about the Belonging Barometer from a longtime colleague, the team quickly recognized its potential and began implementing it.

“The Belonging Barometer provides such a clear framework for how to approach this work with a very clear ‘why,’” Felty noted. “It’s difficult work, but the framework makes it accessible.”

Importantly, the survey was designed to be adaptable for various settings. Rather than taking a broad approach to measuring belonging, Washington Main Street customized the survey to focus specifically on residents’ experiences in their downtown communities. The questions explored whether individuals felt emotionally connected to their downtown, welcomed by others, and empowered to influence decisions affecting their community.

“The survey felt incredibly adaptable,” Felty said. “If it can work nationally, locally, in workplaces, schools, and communities, surely we can apply it to our own situation.”

Instead of launching the survey statewide, the Washington State Main Street Program initiated a manageable pilot project. In fall 2024, four communities participated in the first cohort. The goal was to establish a baseline and understand how the Belonging Barometer could be applied within a Main Street context. Alongside the survey, the team incorporated historical research, site visits, and community interviews to gain a deeper understanding of each downtown’s unique story and context.

Recognizing that belonging is closely tied to place, the team aimed for the data to reflect more than just survey scores.

“We leaned into the idea of place-based belonging,” Felty explained. “What does it actually mean for people to feel like they belong in this specific downtown?”

Some of the most impactful insights emerged from personal stories. One participant recounted attending a sensory-friendly downtown parade with a grandchild who has autism. For that family, the event represented a deliberate effort by the downtown to create an accessible space where they felt welcome.

“That really stood out,” Felty said. “It was one of those moments where someone could genuinely say, ‘We belong here.’”

Such narratives reinforced a belief among community leaders: intentional programming can significantly influence whether individuals feel included.

The pilot confirmed one of the team’s initial hypotheses: individuals engaged with their local Main Street organizations generally reported a stronger sense of belonging. While the team acknowledges that it is too early to draw broad causal conclusions, the findings provided valuable insights and a foundation for future efforts.

More importantly, the process itself began to shift conversations. Community partners and local organizations utilized the findings to reevaluate existing programs, considering who might still feel excluded, how volunteers could feel more connected, and what small adjustments could enhance the welcoming nature of events.

“Even if the data doesn’t immediately tell you to do X, Y, or Z, having belonging in the collective consciousness changes the way people think,” Felty said. “It encourages organizations to make small adjustments and be more intentional about integrating resources that help people feel more connected.”

For Felty, one of the greatest strengths of the Belonging Barometer lies in its ability to help organizations measure something many have long believed was important but struggled to quantify.

“So often we’re measuring dollars, jobs, spending, or attendance,” she said. “Those are all important, but they only tell one part of the story.”

“Being able to measure belonging—being able to measure social impact—means we’re better able to create communities where people genuinely feel connected to each other and to the places they live. That’s the heart of the work.”

Following the success of the pilot, the Washington State Main Street Program is expanding to a second cohort of communities while continuing to learn alongside others utilizing the Belonging Barometer. Felty encourages organizations not to wait until they have a perfect plan.

“The blueprint is already there,” she said. “You can pick it up, adapt it to your own context, and start learning.”

The Belonging Barometer offers organizations a practical starting point and a growing community of practitioners eager to share their discoveries. While every community is unique, the fundamental question remains the same: Do people feel like they belong here?

The first step toward answering that question is simply asking it.

Ready to get started? Download the free Belonging Barometer Quick Start Guide and survey questions to begin measuring belonging in your community, according to American Immigration Council.

Washington State Main Street Program utilizes the Belonging Barometer to assess community connection and belonging, aiming to enhance the vibrancy of downtown areas across the state.

For decades, community revitalization efforts have primarily focused on quantifiable metrics such as the number of new businesses, jobs created, building rehabilitations, affordable housing units, and financial investments. While these metrics are significant, they do not provide a comprehensive view of community well-being.

The Washington State Main Street Program sought to address a different question: Do residents feel a sense of belonging in their downtown areas? To explore this, the organization turned to the Belonging Barometer.

The Washington State Main Street Program supports approximately 80 downtown organizations statewide, assisting communities in preserving historic sites while fostering vibrant and economically thriving downtowns. Although program leaders recognized the social value of their initiatives—such as bringing neighbors together and creating welcoming spaces—they found it challenging to measure these outcomes effectively.

“We’ve always known about the social impact of our work,” said Lydia Felty of the Washington State Main Street Program. “But articulating that social return on investment has been elusive.”

Traditionally, success was gauged through tangible outcomes like rehabilitated buildings, newly opened businesses, and job creation. While these metrics captured economic impact, they failed to address equally important questions: Do residents feel connected to their community? Do they feel welcome in downtown spaces? Do they believe they can influence their community’s future?

“We kept asking ourselves, ‘How do you know if an event achieved something beyond bringing people downtown or increasing sales for local businesses?’ Those metrics are important—but they don’t tell the full story,” Felty explained.

Upon being introduced to the Belonging Barometer by a longtime colleague, the team recognized its potential and began implementing it.

“The Belonging Barometer provides such a clear framework for how to approach this work with a very clear ‘why,’” Felty noted. “It’s difficult work, but the framework makes it accessible.”

Importantly, the survey was designed to be adaptable for various settings. Instead of measuring belonging in a broad sense, Washington Main Street tailored the survey to focus specifically on residents’ experiences in their downtown communities. Questions delved into whether individuals felt emotionally connected to their downtown, welcomed by others, and empowered to influence decisions affecting their community.

“The survey felt incredibly adaptable,” Felty said. “If it can work nationally, locally, in workplaces, schools, and communities, surely we can apply it to our own situation.”

Rather than launching the initiative statewide, the Washington State Main Street Program opted for a manageable pilot project. In the fall of 2024, four communities participated in the first cohort. The objective was to establish a baseline and understand how the Belonging Barometer could be applied in a Main Street context. Alongside the survey, the team incorporated historical research, site visits, and community interviews to gain insights into each downtown’s unique story and context.

Recognizing that belonging is deeply tied to place, they aimed for the data to reflect more than mere survey scores.

“We leaned into the idea of place-based belonging,” Felty explained. “What does it actually mean for people to feel like they belong in this specific downtown?”

Some of the most impactful insights emerged from personal stories. One participant recounted attending a sensory-friendly downtown parade with a grandchild who has autism. For that family, the event exemplified the downtown’s commitment to creating an accessible space where they felt welcome.

“That really stood out,” Felty said. “It was one of those moments where someone could genuinely say, ‘We belong here.’”

Such stories reinforced what many community leaders had long suspected: intentional programming can significantly influence whether individuals feel included.

The pilot project confirmed one of the team’s initial hypotheses: individuals engaged with their local Main Street organizations generally reported a stronger sense of belonging. While the team acknowledges that it is too early to draw broad causal conclusions, the findings provided valuable insights and a foundation for further exploration.

More importantly, the process itself began to shift conversations. Community partners and local organizations utilized the findings to rethink existing programs, considering who might still feel excluded, how volunteers could feel more connected, and what minor adjustments could make events more welcoming.

“Even if the data doesn’t immediately tell you to do X, Y, or Z, having belonging in the collective consciousness changes the way people think,” Felty stated. “It encourages organizations to make small adjustments and be more intentional about integrating resources that help people feel more connected.”

For Felty, one of the Belonging Barometer’s greatest strengths lies in its ability to help organizations measure something that many have long believed to be important but struggled to quantify.

“So often we’re measuring dollars, jobs, spending, or attendance,” she said. “Those are all important, but they only tell one part of the story.”

“Being able to measure belonging—being able to measure social impact—means we’re better able to create communities where people genuinely feel connected to each other and to the places they live. That’s the heart of the work.”

Following the pilot’s success, the Washington State Main Street Program is expanding to a second cohort of communities while continuing to learn alongside others using the Belonging Barometer. Felty encourages organizations not to wait until they have a perfect plan.

“The blueprint is already there,” she said. “You can pick it up, adapt it to your own context, and start learning.”

The Belonging Barometer provides organizations with a practical starting point and a growing community of practitioners eager to share their discoveries. Ultimately, while every community is unique, the fundamental question remains:

Do people feel like they belong here?

The first step toward answering that question is simply asking it.

Ready to get started?

Download the free Belonging Barometer Quick Start Guide and survey questions to begin measuring belonging in your community, according to American Immigration Council.

Most Americans feel a sense of belonging in their communities, yet only one in four believe they can influence local decisions, according to a recent study by the American Immigration Council.

Washington, DC — A new national study reveals that while most Americans feel safe and comfortable in their communities, only about one in four believe they have any real influence over how those communities are governed. This finding comes from the Center for Inclusion & Belonging at the American Immigration Council, which has released the second wave of its research initiative, The Belonging Barometer, focusing on local belonging.

The study provides a detailed and actionable understanding of Americans’ sense of community belonging, highlighting significant opportunities for enhancing local engagement and investment.

Belonging is defined as feeling emotionally connected to others, being safe to express oneself, and having the ability to shape the communities in which one lives, works, and participates. The findings indicate that local belonging encompasses more than just feeling accepted; many Americans feel connected but lack the ability to influence local decisions. This disconnect is particularly notable among older adults aged 65 and above, who report a higher sense of belonging (48%) compared to younger adults aged 18-29 (34%).

Key findings from The Belonging Barometer: Understanding Belonging Where It Is Lived include:

Approximately 61% of Americans either lack a clear sense of community belonging or feel excluded. While only 14% report feeling excluded, a significant portion (47%) experiences uncertainty about their place within their community, indicating a substantial opportunity for improvement through local initiatives.

Local media plays a crucial role in fostering belonging. Individuals who engage with local news at least weekly are significantly more likely to report a strong sense of local belonging, whereas consumption of national news does not show the same correlation.

Financial stability is also linked to a heightened sense of belonging. Among Americans earning less than $50,000 annually, only 34% report feeling a sense of belonging in their local community, compared to 47% of those with incomes exceeding $100,000.

While people generally feel safe in their communities, they often do not feel empowered. Only about 24% of respondents believe they can influence local decision-making or understand how their community operates.

Interestingly, local belonging is not confined by geography or political affiliation. The research indicates that feelings of belonging are not significantly influenced by whether one resides in a small town or an urban area, nor by political party alignment. This suggests that belonging is attainable across various environments and groups.

“Belonging has become one of the defining social issues of our time. As communities grapple with rising loneliness, declining trust, and increasing polarization, researchers and public health leaders are recognizing that belonging is a measurable condition that influences health, civic participation, and community resilience,” said Emily Baird-Chrisohon, Program Manager at the Center for Inclusion & Belonging.

She added, “These findings point to clear opportunities for cities, nonprofits, funders, and local institutions to strengthen belonging by listening to what people are experiencing and creating more ways for people to participate in civic life. People don’t need perfect communities—they need to feel invited, be seen, and have a real say in what’s happening.”

This study builds on previous research that consistently shows Americans feel less belonging in their local communities than in other areas of life. It delves deeper into local belonging to better understand the factors shaping individuals’ sense of connection, identify persistent gaps, and explore what communities can do to foster stronger, more inclusive environments where everyone feels they belong. The full research brief is available at the American Immigration Council’s website.

Communities can take action by utilizing the Belonging Barometer, a pioneering tool designed to measure the quality of an individual’s “fit” within a group or setting. This simple, research-based survey consists of ten questions assessing three essential dimensions: emotional connection, psychological safety, and community influence.

The Belonging Barometer is freely accessible, allowing communities to gather insights that drive action. Cities, nonprofits, funders, employers, schools, and other organizations can leverage this tool to assess whether their communities or institutions feel connected, safe, and empowered to contribute. It also serves as a guide for making informed investments and tracking progress over time.

For more information about the Belonging Barometer and how communities and organizations can begin measuring and enhancing belonging, visit the American Immigration Council’s website.

The research was conducted by SSRS, utilizing a general population survey through the SSRS Opinion Panel Omnibus platform. This national, probability-based survey includes over 3,000 respondents and is conducted bi-monthly. To complement the survey findings, SSRS also conducted 16 in-depth interviews with panelists who participated in the survey.

The Belonging Barometer tool, introduced in the 2023 report “The Belonging Barometer: The State of Belonging in America,” was employed again in this study alongside new survey and interview data. The original report was authored by Over Zero and the American Immigration Council’s Center for Inclusion and Belonging.

This study was made possible through funding from the Walmart Foundation. The findings, conclusions, and recommendations presented in this research brief are solely those of the American Immigration Council and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Walmart Foundation.

The Center for Inclusion & Belonging at the American Immigration Council is committed to changing the conversation around immigration and fostering a more welcoming nation. Through research, narrative strategy, and cross-sector partnerships, the Center aims to cultivate a culture of belonging where all individuals—regardless of background—can thrive, connect, and fully contribute to their communities.

For media inquiries, contact Anjulee Alvares-Cinque at the Center for Inclusion & Belonging at the American Immigration Council via email at aacinque@immcouncil.org.

In an effort to deepen community engagement, the Washington State Main Street Program utilized the Belonging Barometer to assess residents’ feelings of belonging in their downtown areas.

For decades, community revitalization efforts have primarily focused on quantifiable metrics such as the number of new businesses, jobs created, building rehabilitations, affordable housing units, and financial investments. While these figures are significant, they do not capture the entire narrative of community well-being.

The Washington State Main Street Program sought to explore a different dimension of community revitalization: the sense of belonging among residents in their downtown areas. To achieve this, the organization turned to the Belonging Barometer, a tool designed to assess feelings of inclusion and connection within communities.

Supporting approximately 80 downtown organizations across Washington State, the Main Street Program aims to preserve historic sites while fostering vibrant, economically thriving downtowns. Despite recognizing the social value of their initiatives—such as bringing neighbors together and creating welcoming spaces—program leaders struggled to quantify these outcomes.

“We’ve always known about the social impact of our work,” said Lydia Felty of the Washington State Main Street Program. “But articulating that social return on investment has been elusive.”

Traditionally, success was gauged through tangible results: the number of buildings rehabilitated, new businesses launched, and jobs created. While these metrics reflect economic impact, they fail to address critical questions about community connection. Do residents feel a sense of belonging? Are they welcomed in downtown spaces? Do they believe they can influence their community’s future?

“We kept asking ourselves, ‘How do you know if an event achieved something beyond bringing people downtown or increasing sales for local businesses?’” Felty noted. “Those metrics are important—but they don’t tell the full story.”

Upon learning about the Belonging Barometer from a longtime colleague, the team recognized its potential and began implementing it.

“The Belonging Barometer provides such a clear framework for how to approach this work with a very clear ‘why,’” Felty explained. “It’s difficult work, but the framework makes it accessible.”

Crucially, the survey was designed to be adaptable for various settings. Rather than measuring belonging in a broad sense, the Washington Main Street Program tailored the survey to focus specifically on residents’ experiences in their downtown communities. Questions delved into whether individuals felt emotionally connected to their downtown, welcomed by others, and empowered to influence decisions affecting their community.

“The survey felt incredibly adaptable,” Felty said. “If it can work nationally, locally, in workplaces, schools, and communities, surely we can apply it to our own situation.”

Instead of launching the survey statewide, the Washington State Main Street Program initiated a manageable pilot program. In the fall of 2024, four communities participated in the first cohort. The objective was to establish a baseline and understand how the Belonging Barometer could be applied within a Main Street context. Alongside the survey, the team incorporated historical research, site visits, and community interviews to gain a deeper understanding of each downtown’s unique story and context.

Recognizing that belonging is closely tied to place, the team aimed for the data to reflect more than just survey scores.

“We leaned into the idea of place-based belonging,” Felty said. “What does it actually mean for people to feel like they belong in this specific downtown?”

Some of the most impactful insights emerged from personal stories. One participant shared their experience attending a sensory-friendly downtown parade with a grandchild who has autism. For that family, the event represented a deliberate effort by the downtown to create an accessible space where they felt welcomed.

“That really stood out,” Felty recalled. “It was one of those moments where someone could genuinely say, ‘We belong here.’”

Such narratives reinforced a notion already suspected by many community leaders: intentional programming can significantly influence feelings of inclusion.

The pilot confirmed one of the team’s initial hypotheses: individuals engaged with their local Main Street organizations generally reported a stronger sense of belonging. While the team acknowledges that it is premature to draw broad causal conclusions, the findings provided valuable insights and a foundation for future initiatives.

More importantly, the process itself began to shift conversations within communities. Local organizations and partners utilized the findings to reassess existing programs, considering who might still feel excluded, how volunteers could feel more connected, and what minor adjustments could enhance the welcoming nature of events.

“Even if the data doesn’t immediately tell you to do X, Y, or Z, having belonging in the collective consciousness changes the way people think,” Felty said. “It encourages organizations to make small adjustments and be more intentional about integrating resources that help people feel more connected.”

For Felty, one of the Belonging Barometer’s greatest strengths is its ability to quantify something that many have long believed to be important but could not measure effectively.

“So often we’re measuring dollars, jobs, spending, or attendance,” she noted. “Those are all important, but they only tell one part of the story.”

“Being able to measure belonging—being able to measure social impact—means we’re better able to create communities where people genuinely feel connected to each other and to the places they live. That’s the heart of the work.”

Following the success of the pilot, the Washington State Main Street Program is expanding to a second cohort of communities while continuing to learn alongside others utilizing the Belonging Barometer. Felty encourages organizations not to wait until they have a perfect plan.

“The blueprint is already there,” she said. “You can pick it up, adapt it to your own context, and start learning.”

The Belonging Barometer offers organizations a practical starting point and a growing community of practitioners eager to share their discoveries. While every community is unique, the fundamental question remains the same: Do people feel like they belong here?

The first step toward answering that question is simply asking it.

Ready to get started? Download the free Belonging Barometer Quick Start Guide and survey questions to begin measuring belonging in your community.

According to American Immigration Council.

Diversity enriches our lives, fostering discovery and resilience through varied experiences and perspectives shaped by family, education, and personal relationships.

When people hear the word “diversity,” they often think of race, religion, nationality, or politics. However, my first encounter with diversity occurred in a much smaller, noisier laboratory: my own home. Growing up with six sisters and one brother, each possessing distinct personalities, temperaments, interests, and aptitudes, my childhood was anything but dull. To a smaller family, my upbringing might seem crowded, chaotic, and perhaps even exhausting. If anyone deserved sympathy, it was my parents, who managed an orchestra where every instrument played a different tune.

Reflecting on my upbringing, I realize that one of the greatest gifts of my life was being exposed early to the sheer diversity of human nature. In a large family, you quickly learn that not everyone thinks, speaks, reacts, or values the same things you do. One sibling may be quiet, another argumentative, while others may be artistic, practical, sensitive, stubborn, sociable, or self-contained. In such an environment, getting along with others becomes a vital survival skill.

Long before I encountered formal leadership courses or corporate team-building programs, growing up in a large family taught me patience, compromise, observation, and adjustment. These lessons were not wrapped in philosophical language but were part of daily life: sharing space, attention, navigating quarrels, learning to wait, yield, speak up, and sometimes remain silent.

Diversity within a family is not an abstract theory; it is a lived reality. This early exposure prepared me for interactions with relatives, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and bosses. While friction arising from temperamental or behavioral differences can be challenging, it is less likely to defeat those who have learned to navigate such complexities.

In many ways, a large family serves as a practice ground for democracy. It teaches that harmony does not equate to sameness; rather, it involves learning to live constructively amid differences.

My journey into diversity continued with my marriage, which was arranged. My wife and I share a similar value system, which is crucial, as shared values form the foundation of a relationship. However, our personalities differ significantly. I am introverted, preferring solitude, reflection, and the world of ideas, while my wife thrives on human interaction. Where I recharge in silence, she draws energy from socializing. In youth, one might assume that compatibility means similarity, but age teaches otherwise. While similarity can ease life, difference enriches it, provided there is goodwill, mutual respect, and maturity.

Our temperamental differences have not been a source of conflict but rather an opportunity for education. My wife has broadened my social world, while I have introduced a quieter, more reflective note to hers. When grounded in shared values, diversity within marriage can evolve from a problem to be solved into a partnership to be cultivated.

During my engineering studies in college, I also explored Indian and contemporary Western philosophy, sociology, economics, logic, and linguistics. At the time, many of my fellow engineering students resented the humanities and social sciences, believing we should focus solely on “serious” subjects like math and science. We were mistaken.

The diversity of subjects I studied proved invaluable. Philosophy trained my mind to ask foundational questions, sociology illuminated the roles of institutions and culture, economics provided insights into incentives and trade-offs, logic sharpened my thinking, and linguistics enhanced my communication skills. Most importantly, these subjects equipped me to engage with a variety of personalities, each with unique thoughts and actions. In the workplace, one must navigate not only technical constraints but also ego, fear, ambition, misunderstanding, culture, and values.

A memorable insight from a business magazine resonates with me: a CEO once told his managers, “If all of you agree on everything, I can fire four of you.” This humorous remark underscores a critical observation: progress rarely emerges from sameness; it thrives on the tension of differing viewpoints. While absolute agreement may seem efficient, it can stifle creativity, critical thinking, and innovation. Complex problems often require diverse perspectives that enhance insight and reduce susceptibility to groupthink.

The human hand exemplifies functional diversity. Its extraordinary versatility arises from variation rather than uniformity. Each finger differs in length, strength, mobility, and role. If all five digits were identical, grip strength would weaken, precision would diminish, and tool use would be compromised. Nature favors variation; genetic diversity enhances resilience against disease and environmental stress. Uniform populations are fragile, while diverse ones adapt and thrive.

Neuroscience supports this understanding, revealing that the brain responds positively to novelty. New experiences stimulate motivation, curiosity, exploratory behavior, and memory formation, enhancing cognitive flexibility and learning capacity. Without difference, there is little opportunity for learning.

Diversity has profoundly shaped my life, making me more adaptable and teaching me not to expect the world to conform to my preferences. It has softened my rigidity and prepared me for marriage, friendship, work, and citizenship. Diversity has taught me how to listen, adjust, think beyond a single perspective, and recognize that truth, wisdom, and usefulness are often scattered across various people and forms of knowledge.

However, it is essential to acknowledge that diversity is not always comfortable. While often praised in glowing terms, the reality of diversity can be challenging. Differences can irritate us, unsettle us, and exhaust us. Psychology explains that humans are drawn to familiarity, and differences can introduce uncertainty, triggering caution.

Yet, growth often begins where familiarity ends. Diversity is valuable not because it is always pleasant, but because it stretches our capacities. Just as muscles grow through resistance, minds expand by encountering new ideas, perspectives, and ways of living. This truth was evident in my childhood home, my marriage, my college experience, and my workplace.

Diversity is not chaos; it is structured difference. As a grandfather, I encourage young people to embrace diversity and learn from it. In youth, we often seek efficiency, but as we age, we begin to appreciate variety. A life surrounded only by sameness may feel tidy, but it can become spiritually and intellectually impoverished. Some of the most valuable lessons in life come disguised as detours.

Uniformity produces efficiency, while diversity fosters discovery. The goal is not merely difference, but harmonized difference. Just as the fingers of a hand differ yet cooperate, and an orchestra’s instruments vary yet harmonize, civilization advances through differentiated roles—scientists, artists, engineers, teachers, and healers. Diversity is not fragmentation; it is potential synergy.

According to India Currents, embracing diversity enriches our lives and fosters resilience, encouraging us to learn from one another and grow together.