Research
The Fund sponsors research to identify the steps needed to advance the initiatives of Advance Northeast Ohio. The Fund uses the research to guide regional initiatives and inform the development and implementation of regional economic competitiveness initiatives.
Economic research plays an essential role in guiding the work of the Fund and it is equally important as our grantmaking and civic engagement efforts to strengthen the region's economic competitiveness. To assist the region in understanding the complex economy of Northeast Ohio the Fund maintains a bibliography of economic research done in the region.
Research projects supported by the Fund include:
Dashboard of Economic Indicators
The Dashboard of Economic Indicators offers a detailed economic analysis of more than 330 metropolitan areas within the United States. The Fund uses the Dashboard to identify common characteristics of high-growth regions and to assess how our region's economy is performing in comparison to other markets.
New in 2013: What Matters to Metros™, the Fund's seventh iteration of our flagship research product (formerly called the Dashboard of Economic Indicators), is now available
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In the 2011 edition, the Dashboard measures the region’s economic performance in the context of a slow-growth, fragile, post-recession economy. Signs point in a positive direction for Northeast Ohio’s economy. Despite population loss and business slowdowns, the region remains an important hub for the nation’s population and economy, contributing more than $160 billion annually to the national economy.
The 2011 Dashboard of Economic Indicators, titled Driving the Recovery Home, is available for download: 2011 Dashboard of Economic Indicators, Driving the Recovery Home (PDF)
The Dashboard has been issued annually since 2006.
Past reports are available for download:
2010 Dashboard of Economic Indicators, What Matters Most, 5th Anniversary Edition ( PDF)
2009 Dashboard of Economic Indicators
2008 Dashboard of Economic Indicators
2007 Dashboard of Economic Indicators
2006 Dashboard of Economic Indicators
In 2008, the Fund issued "Lessons of the Dashboard," which summarized four key implications of the economic analysis. Read the Lessons of the Dashboard.
Opportunity Abounds: Local Government Collaboration Can Be a Building Block for Economic Competitivness
The Fund for Our Economic Future, in partnership with Advance Northeast Ohio, issued a report highlighting some of the regional efforts under way to support more efficient and collaborative local government. Local government efficiency and collaboration can lead to significant savings to protect vital local services and ensure that our communities make the necessary investments in innovation and education that will create jobs and keep Northeast Ohio competitive in the global economy.
The Opportunity Abounds report (pdf) is available on the EfficientGovNetwork web site.
Cleveland Plus Venture Capital Report
The annual report, published by the Venture Capital Advisory Task Force, details angel and venture capital investment activity in Northeast Ohio. The Fund supports the annual production of the Cleveland Plus Venture Capital Report.
The 2010 Cleveland Plus Venture Capital Report shows an increase in start-up investments in the region. Northeast Ohio companies procured $237 million in funding from venture capitalists and angel investors – double the amount raised in 2009. Other significant findings include: $121 million invested in growth stage companies, 28 regional companies attracted capital from 42 investors located out of the region.
Barometer of Economic Attitudes
The Fund supports the Barometer of Economic Attitudes, a survey designed to measure the public’s perception of the region’s general economic progress, as well as opinions on regionalism and economic development initiatives. Read the past Barometer reports:
2008 Barometer of Economic Attitudes
2006 Barometer of Economic Attitudes
2004 Barometer of Economic Attitudes
Cost of Local Government Study
The Fund contributed $100,000 to help pay for a comprehensive examination of the cost of local government in Northeast Ohio. The research and reports were completed by the Center for Governmental Research in New York. Other contributors to the study were the Greater Cleveland Partnership, the Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber, and the Samuel H. and Maria Miller Foundation. An online database enables residents to compare their local government expenditures with other communities.
Access the online database.
And separate reports were issued for:
Northeast Ohio
Cuyahoga County
Stark County
Mahoning Valley
Wind Energy Feasibility Study
The Fund contributed $200,000 to a study of the feasibility of placing wind turbines in Lake Erie. The study is being led by Cuyahoga County Energy Development Task Force.
Defining Northeast Ohio Cluster Opportunities in the Ag-Bioscience Sector
A research report reviewing findings and recommendations on potential ag-bio opportunities in Northeast Ohio (February 2013).