Survey to Measure Attitudes Toward Diversity and Inclusion in Lincoln and Marathon Counties

An upcoming survey seeks feedback from residents of Lincoln and Marathon Counties on their perceptions and attitudes toward diversity, inclusion and community welcomeness.

The Lincoln and Marathon County Diversity, Inclusion and Community Welcomeness Study will be released May 3, 2022, and will accept responses until June 3, 2022. A paper version of the survey will be distributed to randomly selected households throughout the area, and all residents of Lincoln and Marathon Counties, ages 18 years and older, will be able to complete this survey online here: wipps.org/LMdiversitystudy.

Discussions around the issues of diversity and inclusion are persistent throughout the country, and Central Wisconsin is no exception. Despite widespread conversation, there is a lack of concrete information on how the people of Lincoln and Marathon Counties feel about these topics.

Designed to address this lack of data, the survey will provide residents the opportunity to express their opinion on how welcoming their community is, as well as their personal attitudes toward people of different backgrounds. The results of the survey will help community leaders and the public gain a better understanding of relationships between individuals and groups that live in our area.

“This data can be a powerful springboard for future conversations and initiatives around inclusivity and welcomeness,” said Rich Poirier, president and CEO, Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I. “To improve the well-being of all community members, we need to understand how residents feel about these important issues.”

The study is being conducted by the Wisconsin Institute for Public Policy and Service, a unit of the University of Wisconsin System Administration. Funding is provided by Church Mutual Insurance Company, S.I.¹ and the B.A. and Esther Greenheck Foundation. Key partners include the Aware and Active Citizen Group from Lincoln County and the Mosaic Collation from Marathon County.

“We hope community members will take advantage of this opportunity to be heard and help shape the future for our area,” said Kathy Drengler, chair of Mosaic of North Central Wisconsin.

To learn more about the Lincoln and Marathon County Diversity Study, please visit: wipps.org/LMdiversitystudy.

¹Church Mutual is a stock insurer whose policyholders are members of the parent mutual holding company formed on 1/1/20. S.I. = a stock insurer