Community Services

An Independent Team to Decode Government

GovFacts is a nonpartisan site focused on making government concepts and policies easier to understand — and government programs easier to access.

Our articles are referenced by trusted think tanks and publications including Brookings, CNN, Forbes, Fox News, The Hill, and USA Today.

All Articles on Community Services

Public-Private Partnerships and Economic Development

When a new highway is built, a bridge is replaced, or a public school is modernized, the project is often…

A Guide to Creating a Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)

A Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy serves as a strategic blueprint for a region's economic future. Sponsored by the U.S. Department…

Getting EDA Funding for Your Community

Hidden in a corner of the Commerce Department sits an agency that most Americans have never heard of but that…

The Economic Development Administration: Fostering Growth in U.S. Communities

The Economic Development Administration is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Commerce, but it holds a unique position in…

How Census Data Builds America’s Cities

Every neighborhood tells a story written in numbers. Why do homes cluster in one area while factories occupy another? How…

How Census Data Guides Trillions of Dollars to Local Communities

Every decade, America mobilizes for its largest peacetime operation: counting every single person in the country. Most people know this…

A Guide to Understanding BEA’s Regional Economic Data

Your hometown's economy tells a unique story. Maybe it's booming with tech startups and rising home values. Maybe it's struggling…

Understanding Participatory Budgeting vs. Traditional Budget Process

Public budgets are the financial blueprints that shape our communities, determining how taxpayer money is collected and spent on everything…