Metro Chicago Information Center
 | |
| Motto | Better data for better decisions. |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1990 |
| Dissolved | February 29, 2012 |
| Type | Non-profit |
| Location | |
| Services | Research and Information Resources |
Metro Chicago Information Center (MCIC) was an independent nonprofit research and consulting resource based in Chicago, Illinois. MCIC was founded in 1990 by a consortium of business and philanthropic leaders at the Commercial Club of Chicago to regularly collect demographics and baseline data on social policy and human needs for the 6-county metropolitan Chicago region.[1] MCIC provided the data necessary to support public policy and social program development but did not advocate specific policy choices. Faced with a $650,000 defined benefit pension liability for staff hired before 2005,[2] MCIC closed on February 29, 2012.[3]
Research
MCIC conducted demographic research for both local nonprofits and larger foundations such as the MacArthur Foundation and the Sprague Foundation,[1] whose findings typically went towards fundraising, advocacy, and policy making. MCIC specialized in difficult to reach and underserved populations.[4]
MCIC provided a variety of research and consulting services for branch site analysis, and strategic market planning. GIS/mapping technology, merged with unique databases like HMDA or U.S. Census information, provides in-depth analysis of delineated market areas, individual branch markets, or new site locations.[5]
MCIC was part of a group of national and community-based organizations that served as auxiliary census data distribution centers.[6]
Affiliations
MCIC was a founding member of the Illinois Data Exchange Affiliates (IDEA), a voluntary coalition of government agencies and nonprofit organizations working to improve and facilitate public access to public data through web-based XML data transfer.[7]
MCIC was the only National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership (NNIP) partner in the metropolitan Chicago region. The NNIP is a collaborative effort by the Urban Institute in Washington D.C. and 28 local partners around the country who work to further the development and use of neighborhood-level information systems in local policymaking and community building.[8]
References
- 1 2 Shropshire, Corilyn (24 January 2012). "MCIC for Chicago non-profits closing". Retrieved 6 August 2015.
- ↑ nccs.urban.org
- ↑ City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs
- ↑ http://info.mcfol.org/web/consulting/cusResearchlist.aspx
- ↑ http://info.mcfol.org/web/aboutMCIC/expertise.aspx
- ↑ http://info.mcfol.org/web/cic.aspx
- ↑ http://data.cmap.illinois.gov/chidataexchange.net//idea_partners.htm
- ↑ http://www2.urban.org/nnip/loc_list.html#chicago