Upper Valley Needs Assessment Research

This report seeks to provide a greater assessment of needs across the communities that make up the Upper Valley. New Hampshire and Vermont have a large disparity in socioeconomic success between communities across the region. In the Upper Valley, recognizing the variety of needs can better inform governments, stakeholders, and nonprofit organizations on relevant issues to address in order to improve the lives of community members. We first complete a meta-analysis of previous research to understand the underlying issues in the surrounding communities. We then expand the current literature with our own survey. A survey instrument was created and delivered to over three hundred community leaders and stakeholders in the Upper Valley. The survey was sent in the mail, through email, and administered over the phone to reach all 69 towns considered part of the Upper Valley. The survey had multiple purposes. These included a needs assessment of imperative problems, an evaluation of local communities and community organizations, an examination of social capital connections throughout the Upper Valley, and an assessment of current non-profit organizations. With over one hundred responses, the results help provide an evaluation of current needs for stakeholders and organizations to support community development across the Upper Valley.