The Institute was founded on the belief that it is critical to the future of our region to have an organization working to identify our challenges, issues and opportunities and find innovative solutions to meet these challenges. Our mission is to empower people and organizations with data, knowledge and strategic recommendations for informed decision making. Community based research is at the core of The Institute's mission. Since 2004, leaders in both the public and private sectors have relied on Institute research when making critical decisions that impact the region's economy and quality of life. Our research helps support the region's strategic planning, priority setting and policy development. Each year in May, The Institute hosts the Indicators Forum to provide awareness of our region's status on key benchmarks that affect our economy and communities. The presentation identifies positive and negative trends that may impact the region's future. This allows for intervention with new initiatives and policies to help us remain competitive and capitalize on our strengths. The Institute also offers a full range of customized research, consulting and support services to public and private organizations on a fee-for-service basis. As a non-profit and by harnessing the resources of our higher education partners, we are able to offer premium services at very competitive rates.