Our inaugural Vital Signs® report has provided Durham Community Foundation with the knowledge we need to continue to advocate and direct resources. We encourage all funders to direct their funding to the areas of need based on the data in this report.

We recognize that funding is essential to drive the change necessary to make our community better. That is why Durham Community Foundation is building a Vital Durham Endowment Fund to ensure we can continue to provide permanent financial resources to address the current and emerging priorities outlined in this report. We hope you will join us, along with the many families and businesses that are already investing with us to ensure a better future for all in our community. This is our commitment to our community – and to you.

We invite you to consider what your commitment as an individual will be to your Durham. We hope that Vital Signs® inspires you to engage with your family, neighbours, friends, and co-workers. Through understanding, compassion and action, we will create a resilient and caring community where everyone feels they belong. In doing so, we can all thrive together.

If Vital Signs® has taught us anything, it’s that each of us is inseparable from our community. As you learn about your community, in effect, you are also learning about yourself. The question is: what do you want for you and your community? And what are you prepared to do about it.