Measuring the Strength of Relationships and Communities with the Social Capital Atlas

How do you measure the strength of the connections in a community—the trust, relationships, and bonds that hold people together. Social capital plays a powerful role in impacting everything from economic mobility to civic participation. But how do we actually quantify these unseen networks? The Social Capital Atlas can answer that question, mapping out data across U.S. counties and zip codes to show where social capital is strong and where it is lacking. Using sources like Facebook connections, census data, and voting records, the Atlas paints a picture of how connected communities really are. It explores three distinct forms of social capital: economic connectedness, or how people from different income backgrounds interact; cohesiveness, reflecting trust and the strength of local relationships; and civic engagement, which looks at volunteerism and community participation. In this episode, Drew walks you through how to use this tool effectively. You’ll hear: (03:19) What social capital actually refers to, including bonding vs. bridging social capital (07:29) Why should nonprofits care about social capital (09:33) What is the Social Capital Atlas and what exactly does it measure (12:08) How to navigate the Social Capital Atlas Download the Data & Evaluation Made Simple Toolkit