Take 5 with Meaghan Dennison

MEAGHAN DENNISON, CEO of Cape Fear Collective, is not a data scientist, but she sounds like one when she discusses the importance and relevance of data to the organizations that drive positive health and economic outcomes in the area.

As head of the Wilmington-based nonprofit, which was founded in 2019, Dennison works closely with data scientists doing project-based work organizing data, and developing tools for various partner nonprofits and organizations.

“Data is often disconnected and inaccessible. The Cape Fear Collective works to make it attainable to nonprofits for front-line leaders,” Dennison explains. “The goal is to make it accessible.”

Dennison and the Cape Fear Collective have been working diligently to expand access to data with their statewide Healthy Communities NC Dashboard. This site breaks down 21 indicators of social drivers for health broken down by region and county.

“This innovative tool makes it possible for North Carolina to have shared measurement around the social drivers of health with the potential of putting North Carolina in the top ten for health equity by 2030,” Dennison shares.

Another focus of the Cape Fear Collective that has been a hot-button issue in the area is affordable housing. The organization has secured more than $16 million in investments of 100 units in New Hanover County.

Dennison and her team work to address housing affordability by targeting homeownership for first-time home buyers and individuals below 80% of the annual median income.

“Affordable housing is a huge issue and a core mission for us. We’ve worked hard over the last year with our partners and investors to preserve affordable housing in our region with a focus on improving housing quality by completing almost one million in repairs,” Dennison says.

In the same vein, Dennison and the Cape Fear Collective have targeted transportation as an impediment to success. By launching Mission Driven Motors with Kingdom Cars and the Kairos Center, they have developed a new transportation program that is aimed at providing affordable and reliable cars to the community.

“We are providing a data perspective from a lived experience, to understand the context on the ground. We have learned a lot in trying to be more data-driven and to make sense of numbers using a human-centered approach. Every dot on a graph is a person, an individual,” Dennison says.

The goal, for Dennison, is to create a healthy, equitable community. That means connecting with partners to work towards shared goals using shared data to support those goals.

Dennison says Cape Fear Collective plans to continue to expand its mission and increase its impact by continuing to provide accessible tools to understand the metrics in order to help serve people better.

“I want to fill the gaps in eastern North Carolina with the adoption and use of case-related data tools,” Dennison shares. “Organizations on the front lines need tools to help them prove impact, understand where their programs could be targeted, and identify partners to engage with to help leverage their work. With common metrics, disparate organizations can rally around a problem and work toward a common goal.”

Take 5 with Meaghan Dennison

What are the Cape Fear Collective (CFC) initiatives you are most proud of currently? “We’ve been working hard to expand access to data with our statewide Healthy Communities NC Dashboard. This innovative tool makes it possible for North Carolina to have shared measurement around the social drivers of health with the potential of putting North Carolina in the top ten for health equity by 2030. Affordable housing is a huge issue and a core mission for us. We’ve worked hard over the last year with our partners and investors to preserve affordable housing in our region with a focus on improving housing quality by completing almost one million in repairs. Finally, we’ve worked closely with CCLCF (Community Care of the Lower Cape Fear) on the Healthy Opportunities Pilot. Referrals are now coming in for the almost fifty organizations providing nonmedical interventions to Medicaid beneficiaries. This pilot is a game changer showing how social interventions around housing, food security, and reliable transportation create healthier communities.”

Who do you hope to serve with your work at CFC? “At the end of the day, we want to help create an equitable, healthier, and more upward- mobile community. That means working with partners and the community alike on shared metrics and shared goals.”

What are your goals for CFC? “My first job is taking care of the Cape Fear Collective team. I’m lucky to have such a talented group. … In the next year, we’re focused on growing our affordable housing platform, renovating and reopening the Driftwood property with Good Shepherd Center and Norco, and launching Mission Driven Motors with Kingdom Cars and the Kairos Center. The transportation program is aimed at providing affordable and reliable cars to our community.”

Why is data important for the work of nonprofits? “Data creates a common operating picture and sound decision-making. Organizations on the front lines need tools to help them prove impact, understand where their programs could be targeted, and identify partners to engage with to help leverage their work. With common metrics, disparate organizations can rally around a problem and work toward a common goal.”

What, personally, do you gain from your work? “No one does this work for personal gain. But I am inspired every day by my teammates and partners in Wilmington and beyond. I gain keen insight, knowledge, and inspiration from the talented and dedicated individuals and organizations trying to make things better one day at a time.”

To view more of photographer Terah Hoobler’s work, go to terahhoobler.com.

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