MINNESOTA 211 RESOURCE HELPLINE DASHBOARD

United Way’s 211 dashboard provides a view of community needs identified through interactions with Minnesota 211 staff and how those needs are addressed through referrals to services. 

The dashboard represents real-time community needs through 211 interactions – including contacts made to 211 (by phone and text), needs that are voiced by 211 contacts, and the referrals that they receive. 

The Minnesota 211 dashboard is free and available for all decision-makers and community members who want to understand patterns of demand, how needs are being responded to and where potential gaps may exist. This data is particularly useful for funders, nonprofits, government bodies and community advocates.

211 is an anonymous service. We intentionally collect a minimal amount of information – such as ZIP code and preferred language – to help identify relevant referrals for a contact’s needs and circumstances. No personally identifiable information is collected or tracked by 211 staff. This ensures confidentiality for those who contact 211 and keeps the conversation focused on their needs. 

Although 211 data is captured in real-time, data on the Minnesota 211 dashboard is refreshed daily.

A need represents a request for support expressed during a 211 interaction. Examples include: 

• Rental assistance 

• Low-cost diapers 

• Mental health counseling support 

A single contact may share multiple needs during one interaction.

A referral occurs when a 211 Community Resource Specialist connects a contact to information from a specific agency or service provider that may help meet their need.

One request can result in multiple referrals. (For example, one housing request can lead to referrals to several housing agencies.) By providing multiple options, we increase the likelihood that the contact will be able to receive the help they need.

They measure different parts of the story: 

• Requests show what the community needs 

• Referrals show how the system responds 

They are complementary but should not be used interchangeably. 

Nonprofits can use data in the 211 dashboard to: 

• Understand referral patterns 

• Identify unmet or emerging needs 

• Inform service planning, capacity building, and funding conversations 

Service providers may also find value in: 

• Seeing demand for specific service types 

• Identifying times or categories with referral gaps 

• Understanding how improved data quality leads to more appropriate referrals