Bridges Survey Tells Us about You, Your Interests

Nearly 300 readers responded to a survey we sent out in January asking for input on Bridges, the Bank's community development newsletter. We wanted to find out who is reading the newsletter, what readers think about the content and how we can improve it.

Thanks to everyone who took time to fill out the survey.

Among the many comments from readers were compliments ...

"You do a good job. Don't mess up a good thing."

"Whenever my stack of mail piles up, I start throwing things away. Bridges always catches my eye, and I'm glad I slowed down to read it."

and suggestions ...

"Shorter articles with web site addresses for more information."

"Can you write more about the Delta communities?"

What else did we learn from the survey?

• Seventy-seven percent of you read every issue.
• Your favorite features are the front-page article and Spanning the Region, which is a compilation of short articles about what's going on in community development in each of the Bank's zones: St. Louis, Little Rock, Memphis and Louisville. The calendar of events was your next most favorite feature.
• Seventy-two percent of you have discussed an article with colleagues, and many of you have photocopied the article for friends or sent them a link.
• Nearly half of you have visited web sites listed in the articles to find out more information about a topic.

Online vs. print versions

A whopping 82 percent of you say that you never read the online version. And the majority say they would rather read the print version than the online version.

What topics pique your interest?

Community development finance came out on top, followed closely by small business development, community development in urban areas, financial education, affordable housing and community development in rural areas. Other topics that interest you include bankruptcy/foreclosures, regulatory issues and predatory lending.

A Closer Look

A Closer Look is a supplement that takes a topic in Bridges and examines it on a local level. Each issue focuses on one of our zones: St. Louis, Memphis, Louisville or Little Rock. We asked you if this feature should continue as a supplement or be incorporated into the newsletter. You were split 50/50.

Who reads Bridges?

The majority of you either work in financial services or in community and economic development. Educators, government employees, businessmen and students also like reading Bridges.

Again, thanks for taking the survey. With your help, future editions of Bridges and A Closer Look will continue spreading the word about what is going on in community development.