Central Carolina Community Foundation has launched a region-wide survey to hear directly from Midlands residents about the issues, opportunities, and challenges shaping their communities. The survey is part of a larger effort to help guide future community funding and initiatives aimed at improving the region.
This work is built on the Foundation’s 2025 Midlands Nonprofit Survey, which captured perspectives from nonprofit leaders across the region and highlighted rising demand for services, funding challenges, and key community needs such as housing, mental health, and food access. The resident survey expands this effort by bringing in the voices of the people and families experiencing these issues firsthand.
Residents in Calhoun, Clarendon, Fairfield, Kershaw, Lee, Lexington, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland, Saluda, and Sumter counties are invited to participate. The survey takes approximately 7 minutes to complete and will remain open through June 3, 2026. Residents may choose to enter a drawing for one of 100 $25 Amazon gift cards. Participants may also opt in to future focus groups to help deepen the findings.
Residents can take the survey at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MidlandsResidents2026
The survey is available in Spanish at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MidlandsResidents2026_Espanol
“This is an opportunity to hear directly from the people who call the Midlands home,” said Georgia Mjartan, President & CEO of Central Carolina Community Foundation. “We know that strong communities are built by listening first. The insights we gather will help guide how we invest resources, support nonprofits, and work alongside partners to embrace opportunities and address challenges.”
The survey explores multiple dimensions of community life and provides opportunities for residents to share open-ended feedback. Findings from the resident survey will be combined with additional research, including nonprofit input, focus groups, and publicly available data, to provide a comprehensive view of the region. Through this work, Central Carolina Community Foundation will serve as a resource for the region by producing regional and county-level reports that highlight key data, trends, and community perspectives gathered through the assessment.
