Metro Chicago Information Center (MCIC) was an independent

nonprofit A nonprofit organization (NPO), also known as a nonbusiness entity, nonprofit institution, not-for-profit organization, or simply a nonprofit, is a non-governmental (private) legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public, or so ...

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 The Commercial Club of Chicago is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) social welfare organization founded in 1877 with a mission to promote the social and economic vitality of the metropolitan area of Chicago. History The Commercial Club was founded in 187 ...

to regularly collect demographics and baseline data on social policy and human needs for the 6-county metropolitan Chicago region. 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, MCIC closed on February 29, 2012.

Research

MCIC conducted demographic research for both local nonprofits and larger foundations such as the

MacArthur Foundation The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation is a private foundation that makes grants and impact investments to support non-profit organizations in approximately 117 countries around the world. It has an endowment of $7.6 billion and ...

and the Sprague Foundation, whose findings typically went towards fundraising, advocacy, and policy making. MCIC specialized in difficult to reach and underserved populations. 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. MCIC was part of a group of national and community-based organizations that served as auxiliary census data distribution centers.

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. 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 The Urban Institute is a Washington, D.C.–based think tank that conducts economic and social policy research to "open minds, shape decisions, and offer solutions". The institute receives funding from government contracts, foundations, and p ...

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.

References

{{Authority control Data Research organizations in the United States Non-profit organizations based in Chicago