DATA SETS
Brookings Democracy Dashboard
This dashboard is designed to help evaluate political system and governmental performance in the United States. It displays trends in democracy and governance in seven key areas: Elections administration; democratic participation and voting; public opinion; institutional functioning in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches; and media capacity.
Minnesota Legislators Past & Present
This site maintains a comprehensive list of legislators who have served in the Minnesota Legislature since territorial times, including information on gender, self-reported minority status, and education level.
National Center for Charitable Statistics
A national clearinghouse of data on the nonprofit sector in the United States sponsored by the Urban Institute. Offers a wide array of data on U.S. public charities, private foundations, business leagues, trade unions and others. Includes detailed state profiles.
United States Elections Project: Voter-eligible turnout
This site provides national and state voting-eligible turnout rates from 1980 onward. Voting-eligible turnout is calculated by dividing the total voters casting a vote for highest office by the voting-eligible population, which is estimated by subtracting those who are not eligible to vote (e.g., noncitizens and felons) from the voting-age (18+) population.
Volunteering and Civic Life in America
This site provides a comprehensive look at volunteering and civic life in the 50 states and 51 cities across the country. Data on volunteer rates and rankings, and civic engagement trends, is available for download.
DATA-RICH SITES
990 Finder
This search tool from the Foundation Center provides IRS 990 forms, filed annually by nonprofit organizations. Information required on the 990 includes address, officers, program services, gifts received, assets, revenue and expenses, grants paid, and future grants.
Civic Health Index
The National Conference on Citizenship (NCoC) is the nation's leading advocate for civic participation and the only organization chartered by Congress to play that role. The NCoC created America's Civic Health Index to assess how the American people were performing on a wide array of indicators of civic health. Annual reports available from 2006 to present.
Giving in Minnesota
This site provides a comprehensive analysis of the trends in giving by organized philanthropy in the state.
Metro Residents Survey
The Metropolitan Council's annual survey of Twin Cities area residents' attitudes and concerns about the 7-county region. Questions focus on quality of life issues and the Council's priorities and performance. Surveys for 2000 through 2012 are archived. More recent survey results may be available from the Metropolitan Council.
Volunteerism in the U.S.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics provides information on the characteristics of volunteers in the U.S. Annual reports are available from 2002 to the present.