About Us

The CCRE was founded in 2020, the formalization of five years of efforts conducting external evaluation services at the University of Memphis. We started as a small unit operating out of the Department of Sociology on a contract with a partner from the Mississippi Delta to evaluate the effectiveness of programs, interventions, and economic sustainability related to both health and education in the region. The CCRE now operates out of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Memphis and provides services to academic and non-academic partners alike. As a University research center, we are uniquely positioned to provide effective research and evaluation services for community-based projects. The CCRE pairs a commitment to the rigorous standards of a research university with friendly, accessible, local expert advice and consultation. We are also able to work with civic organizations at a scale commensurate with their needs, both as an independent unit and as a partner with University professors who are interested in bringing their collaborations with community partners to scale.

Our Mission

The mission of the Center for Community Research and Evaluation (CCRE) is to provide interdisciplinary social science research and evaluation support for community-based projects. We combine expertise from multiple fields of study to assess outcomes across a broad spectrum of issues related to society and community, in order to help local organizations and on-campus units leverage the full power of data to collect information, develop programming, and determine impact.

What We Do

We partner with University and non-academic entities including non-profit agencies and other community-based organizations as lead researchers, evaluators, consultants and subcontractors. In addition to statistical and scientific consulting, we provide services covering every step of the formative and evaluative process, from designing data strategies and identifying research opportunities to collecting, storing, and statistically analyzing quantitative and qualitative data, and finally to producing deliverables on processes and outcomes with concise reporting and clear, understandable visualizations including maps and graphs. Click here to learn more about what services we offer.

What We Believe

We believe that all organizations can benefit from incorporating some level of strategic data. For civic groups, this is especially true because data is integral to identifying the needs of the target audience, improving processes, demonstrating effectiveness for stakeholders, and acquiring funds. After years of work and multiple conversations with practitioners and leaders in the public and nonprofit sectors, we firmly believe that when organizations invest in building capacity to use and rigorously analyze data, they are rewarded with enhanced impact and clearer paths to sustainability. We strive to help our partners receive meaningful formative feedback to improve operations, clearly demonstrate and articulate impact during and after implementation, break down silos between researchers and clients, and contribute to awareness and trust in local civic efforts.