Useful Tools

Assessment Tools

• The Early Childhood System Self-Assessment National Governor’s Association Center for Best Practices
• The NCCS Community Platform: Tools for Analysis, Collaboration, and Leadership National Center for Charitable Statistics
• A Simple Financing Self-Assessment: Questions to Answer about Financing an Agenda to Improve Outcomes for Children and Families The Results Based Accountability Implementation Guide
• Strategies for Tough Fiscal TimesPolicyforResults.org
• Toolkit for the Assessment of Bus Stop Accessibility and Safety Easter Seals Project Action

Calculators

• Basic Family Budget Calculator Economic Policy Institute
• Benefits CheckUp: The nation's most comprehensive Web-based service to screen for benefits programs for seniors with limited income and resources National Council on Aging
• Carbon Footprint Calculators City of Austin
• Commute Cost Calculator Commute Solutions
• Family Resource Simulator Illustrates the impact of work supports — such as earned income tax credits and child care assistance—on the budget of a hypothetical family. Based on the answers provided, the Simulator generates graphs that show how family resources and expenses change as earnings increase, from the National Center for Children in Poverty
• Inflation Calculator U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• Labor Availability Estimator Texas Workforce Solutions
• Living Wage Calculator Pennsylvania State University

Resource Guides

• 2010 Central Texas Healthcare Resource Directory: 2nd Edition Literacy Coalition of Central Texas
• Child Care Assistance Providers Lifeworks
• Common Good Forecaster United Way Worldwide
• Directory of Services: Serving the Austin and Travis County Community Austin Travis County Integral Care
• Family Economic Self-Sufficiency Resources Provides resources and technical assistance to state and local organizations to implement policies and programs that help low-income families achieve economic self-sufficiency, from the Wider Opportunities for Women
• Foreclosure Avoidance Counseling Directory U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
• Foreclosure Response: Resources for Preventing Foreclosures and Stabilizing Communities Center for Housing Policy
• Go-to-College Guidebook Ready by 21 Austin
• Government Benefits Locator GovBenefits.gov
• HIV Testing & Care Services Locator U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• Indicator Projects Community Indicators Consortium
• La Salud Mental de su Hijo: Guia para que los Padres Reconozcan Problemas Mentales y Conductuales de Ninos y Jovenes en Edad Escolar Asociacion para el Planeamiento de la Salud Mental de Ninos y Jovenes
• Literacy Services Directory Literacy Coalition of Central Texas
• Mental Health Education and Support Group Resource Guide National Alliance for Mental Illness Austin
• National Resource Directory The U.S. Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs
• National Survey of Children's Health The Child and Adolescent Health Measurement Initiative
• Online Services for Key Low-Income Benefit Programs: What States Provide On-Line with Respect to Food Stamps, TANF, Child Care Assistance, Medicaid, and CHIP Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
• Resource Information and Referral Guide for the Treatment of Geriatric Depression University of Texas School of Social Work
• Resources for Real Kids with Real Needs Easter Seals Disability Services: Easter Seals Central Texas
• Sliding Scale Child Care Providers Lifeworks
• A Social Worker's Tool Kit for Working with Immigrant Families: A Child Welfare Flowchart The Migration and Child Welfare National Network
• A Social Worker's Toolkit for Working with Immigrant Families: Immigration Status and Relief Options The Migration and Child Welfare National Network
• Texas Family Care Navigator Family Caregiver Alliance
• Travis County HHS/VS Family Support Services: Emergency Assistance Programs Travis County Health and Human Services & Veterans Service
• Travis County Victims of Crime Resource Directory Texas Department of Criminal Justice
• Your Child's Mental Health: A Parent's Guide to Recognizing Mental and Behavioral Health Issues for School-Aged Children and Youth – English Austin/Travis County Child and Youth Mental Health Planning Partnership
• Youth Services Mapping System Ready by 21; Austin Independent School District; ACCESS; Safe Schools, Healthy Students; Workforce Solutions Capital Area

Strategic and Informational Guidebooks

• The 2008 HHS Poverty Guidelines U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
• 2010 Census Overview U.S. Census Bureau
• Achieving Graduation for All: A Governor's Guide to Dropout Prevention and Recovery NGA Center for Best Practices
• Austin Preparedness Guide City of Austin: Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
• Box Set: Evidence-Based Principles for Reducing Offender Risk National Institute of Corrections
• A City Platform for Strengthening Families and Improving Outcomes for Children and Youth National League of Cities
• Collective Impact Stanford Social Innovation Review
• The College Guide for Advising Undocumented Students Austin College Access Network
• Communicating for Action: A Practical Handbook Community Action Network
• Community-Based School Readiness Integration Partnerships: Promoting Sustainable Collaborations Texas Early Childhood Education Coalition
• Community-Level Indicators for Understanding Health and Human Services Issues: A Compendium of Selected Indicator Systems and Resource Organizations Research Triangle Institute, Child Trends
• Connected by 25: Effective Policy Solutions for Vulnerable Youth Youth Transition Funders Group
• Creating Stronger Linkages between Community Indicator Projects and Government Performance Measurement Efforts Community Indicators Consortium
• Criteria for Selecting Strategies PolicyforResults.org
• EITC Interactive: Shows How Proposed Expansions to the Earned Income Tax Credit Would Benefit Taxpayers in Selected States, Metropolitan Areas, and Cities Across the Nation The Brookings Institute
• Expanding the Evidence Universe: Doing Better by Knowing More Center for the Study of Social Policy
• Family Safety Planning Toolkit for Enforcement Preparedness Immigrant Services of Network Austin
• Feeding America’s Families: How Elected Officials Can Help Families in Need Receive Food Stamps and Nutrition Assistance The Annie E. Casey Foundation
• Financial ToolkitUnited Way for Greater Austin
• Follow the Money: A Tool for Mapping  Funds for Out-of-School Time Initiatives The Finance Project
• Forum Planning Task List Community Action Network
• Frequently Asked Questions: Evidence-Based Practice Community Action Network
• Good Community is Good Business Leadership Austin
• A Guide to Actionable Measurement Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
• Guide to Affordable Housing in the Greater Austin Area - 10th Edition The Austin Tenants' Council
• Guide to Mapping Community Assets for Transitioning Youth Connected by 25; The Finance Project; Fostering Connection Resource Center
• A Guide to Resources for Creating, Locating, and Using Child and Youth Indicator Data Child Trends, Kids Count
• High School Dropout, Graduation, and Completion Rates: Better Data, Better Measures, Better Decisions Committee for Improved Measurement of High School Dropout and Completion Rates, National Research Council and National Academy of Education
• Human Services Systems Integration: A Conceptual Framework Institute for Research on Poverty
• Increasing Communication, Collaboration, and Citizen Participation in Governments Through Social Media National Association for County Community & Economic Development
• Language Matters in Mental Health Hogg Foundation for Mental Health
• Listening to the Stars: The Constellation Model of Collaborative Social Change Shuttleworth Foundation, Toronto's Centre for Social Innovation
• Mass Medical Care with Scare Resources: The Essentials Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality – U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
• National Study of Nonprofit-Government Contracting: State Profiles Urban Institute
• A New Way to Talk About the Social Determinants of HealthRobert Wood Johnson Foundation
• News Conference Checklist Community Action Network
• NNIP Lessons on Data Sharing National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership
• Performance Accountability for Programs, Agencies, and Service Systems Fiscal Policy Studies Institute
• Poverty Elimination Strategies that Work: A Human Rights Toolkit for Addressing for Addressing Poverty in Your Community Heartland Alliance
• Promoting Mental Health and Preventing Suicide: A Toolkit for Senior Living Communities SAMHSA's National Mental Health Information Center: Center for Mental Health Services
• Quality Growth Toolbox Envision Central Texas
• Reentry Housing Options: The Policymakers' Guide Bureau of Justice Assistance - U.S. Department of Justice, Justice Center - The Council of State Governments
• Regional Transit Coordination Guidebook Center for Transportation Training and Research at Texas Southern University, Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A&M University System
• Reporting Performance Information: Suggested Criteria for Effective Communication Governmental Accounting Standards Board
• The State of City Leadership for Children and Families National League of Cities: Institute for Youth, Education, and Families
• Strategic Volunteer Engagement Guide RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service
• Successful  Corporate Approaches to Addressing Mental Health in the Workplace Partnership for Workplace Mental Health
• Texas Youth Rights Manual American Civil Liberties Union
• Unaccompanied Youth Toolkit for Financial Aid AdministratorsNational Association for the Education of Homeless Children and Youth
• What do Victims Want?: Effective Strategies to Achieve Justice for Victims of Crime International Association of Chiefs of Police