Abstract
Early one morning, members of a Santa Cruz business owners' association discussed a request for a contribution to an affordable housing development. They considered making the donation, but couldn't agree about the need for this type of housing in their community.
Later that afternoon, the director of a Boston nonprofit searched for information about labor market conditions in her agency's service area. She wanted to demonstrate the need for more employment training in a grant proposal.
The same day in St. Paul, city council members struggled to prioritize funding for a ride share initiative, a crime prevention program, and a teen center's homework help program. Each had different perceptions of the needs for these services and thus advocated different priorities.