Inform USA Blogs / Promising Practices

Interested in submitting a blog article? Submit your content idea below, which will then be reviewed for appropriate inclusion on the Inform USA Blog.  

Submit Blog Idea

Certification Certification : Certified Individuals Finance and Funding Industry News Inform USA Awards Inform USA Job Board Inform USA Programs Promising Practices Promising Practices : Cooperative Relationships Promising Practices : Disaster Preparedness Promising Practices : Org Effectiveness Promising Practices : Resource Database Promising Practices : Service Delivery

Services NOT to be Indexed courtesy of 211 Eastern Oklahoma (211EOK) - Tulsa Area United Way
Services NOT to be Indexed courtesy of 211 Eastern Oklahoma (211EOK) - Tulsa Area United Way

A strong infographic about Secondary Service Indexing which communicates clearly an often misunderstood rule of database management has been created by 211EOK. The image would be helpful to new database curators as well as helpful to community resource specialists trying to understand why a... Continue Reading

Date posted11/20/2025


Certified Individuals October 2025
Certified Individuals October 2025

Each month we announce those who received a certification as a Community Resource Specialist (CRS). Specializations in Aging and Disability and Database Curation Continue Reading

Date posted11/20/2025


A Letter from Our New Executive Director, Steve Rippe
A Letter from Our New Executive Director, Steve Rippe

To all Inform USA members and partners, I’m honored to join this community as your new Executive Director. For over 30 years, my work has centered on one mission: helping people get connected to the assistance, support, and opportunities that make their lives better. Whether it was in... Continue Reading

Postedby Steve Rippe
Date posted11/17/2025


Celebrating Community Navigation (I&R) Day 2025
Celebrating Community Navigation (I&R) Day 2025

Community Navigation (I&R) Day 2025 honors the professionals who guide people to the support they need with compassion and calm. We know these are challenging times, so this year, the focus is on self-care and renewal. High demand, limited resources, and emotional exhaustion are part of the... Continue Reading

Postedby Leah Hayes
Date posted11/10/2025


Shutdown Hits Federal Services: Benefits Largely Continue
Shutdown Hits Federal Services: Benefits Largely Continue

Inform USA aims to provide information now that a federal shutdown of services has occurred. It is essential to note that all required payments must be made. Only discretionary spending is affected. Below, we outline activities and known guidance. Continue Reading

Postedby Sandra Ray
Date posted09/30/2025


Database Quality Assurance Policy HWMI, courtesy Heart of West Michigan UW's 211
Database Quality Assurance Policy HWMI, courtesy Heart of West Michigan UW's 211

Database Quality Assurance Policy HWMI This policy guides the organization's quality assurance practices for its resource database by clearly outlining the purpose, procedure and supporting tool for the work. Courtesy of Heart of West Michigan United Way's 2-1-1 This organization was on the... Continue Reading

Date posted09/25/2025


Database Quality Assurance Rubrics and Worksheet HWMI, courtesy of Heart of West Michigan UW's 211
Database Quality Assurance Rubrics and Worksheet HWMI, courtesy of Heart of West Michigan UW's 211

Promising Practice: Database Quality Assurance Rubrics and Worksheet HWMI This tool guides curators through a comprehensive review of agency records, using criteria informed by the Inform USA Database Curator’s Manual, as well as the locally customized taxonomy and style guide as reference... Continue Reading

Date posted09/25/2025


Expected Training Outcomes for CRS courtesy of 211 Contact Center
Expected Training Outcomes for CRS courtesy of 211 Contact Center

Promising Practice: Expected Training Outcomes for CRS This document provides clear expectations and examples of what CRS's are expected to know after completing each of their training sections. Courtesy of 211 Contact Center - United Way of Greater Atlanta This organization was on the 2022... Continue Reading

Date posted06/24/2025


Resource Database TOC Learning Outcomes courtesy of 211 Contact Center
Resource Database TOC Learning Outcomes courtesy of 211 Contact Center

Promising Practice: Resource Database TOC Learning Outcomes This document provides clear expectations and examples of what CRS-DC's are expected to know after completing each of their training sections. Courtesy of 211 Contact Center - United Way of Greater Atlanta This organization was on... Continue Reading

Date posted06/24/2025


Database Audit Form courtesy of 211 Contact Center - United Way of Greater Atlanta
Database Audit Form courtesy of 211 Contact Center - United Way of Greater Atlanta

Promising Practice: Database Audit Form This database audit form is very comprehensive; an excellent objective tool for auditing the work of database curators. Courtesy of 211 Contact Center - United Way of Greater Atlanta This organization was on the 2022 accreditation manual/criteria when... Continue Reading

Date posted06/24/2025


211 and TogetherNow’s MyWayFinder partnership courtesy of 211/LIFE LINE
211 and TogetherNow’s MyWayFinder partnership courtesy of 211/LIFE LINE

211 and TogetherNow’s MyWayFinder partnership 211 and TogetherNow have partnered to build a community-centered system that connects individuals and service providers to accurate, up-to-date human service resource information, with the added ability to send and receive closed-loop... Continue Reading

Date posted06/20/2025


Community Connections Desk (CCD) courtesy of 211 / LIFE LINE - Goodwill of the Finger Lakes
Community Connections Desk (CCD) courtesy of 211 / LIFE LINE - Goodwill of the Finger Lakes

Community Connections Desk (CCD) The Community Connects Desk (CCD), located within the City of Rochester Courthouse, offers in-person service navigation to individuals during court hours. Community members may be referred by judges or other court personnel to meet with a Community Navigator,... Continue Reading

Date posted06/20/2025