The Calvert-Henderson Quality of Life Indicators grew out of a relationship between an international futurist, Hazel Henderson, an asset management firm, Calvert, and 12 scholars with expertise in the respective dimensions of quality of life explored on this website.

Calvert of Bethesda, Maryland co-sponsored the effort and assumed leadership of the project's research and development in 1994. Calvert is a leader in the field of socially responsible investing (SRI), with over $15 billion in total assets and 40 SRI and fixed income funds. Calvert's approach to SRI includes incorporating social analysis into its investment process, actively encouraging companies to adopt best practices, and investing in disadvantaged communities. Barbara Krumsiek, the CEO of Calvert, has this to say about the Calvert-Henderson Quality of Life Indicators:

"All over the country, citizens are demonstrating a desire to engage in serious discussions about how to measure quality of life and livable communities in the United States. For the past eight years, Calvert has been a part of this exciting debate, first with the release of the initial volume of the Calvert-Henderson Quality of Life Indicators, and then with the release of this web site - an updated version of the first national comprehensive assessment of the quality of life in the United States using a systems approach. The deep insights, illuminating findings, and bold explorations into historical and contemporary environmental, economic, and social conditions of the country are our contributions to this important debate. We hope its messages and many lessons will empower people from all walks of like who are equally concerned about our future together on this planet."

The effort was initiated and co-sponsored by Hazel Henderson, whose original conceptualization of a systems approach to measuring quality of life guided the development of the indicators. The project is the fulfillment of 25 years of research and advocacy worldwide for more comprehensive statistics beyond the traditional macroeconomic indicators based on the United Nations System of National Accounts.

Throughout the development of the Calvert-Henderson Indicators, the research effort was directed by Jon Lickerman, then Director of Calvert's Social Investment Research Department, working in close collaboration with Hazel Henderson. He is now a consultant in the fields of socially responsible investing and corporate social responsibility and a member of the Advisory Board for the Calvert-Henderson Quality of Life Indicators. Jon is also a glass artist, specializing in fused and glassblown work.

Sustainable Measures, Inc. - a private consulting firm dedicated to promoting sustainable communities, primarily through the development, understanding and use of effective indicators and systems for measuring progress - maintains and updates the Calvert-Henderson Quality of Life Indicators web site under the direction of Calvert, Henderson and the Advisory Board.

The Calvert-Henderson Quality of Life Indicators were developed with a group of scholars and practitioners who have spent most of their careers examining their respective domains of study. Thanks go out to Constance Battle, Riane Eisler, Patrice Flynn, Mary Jennifer, Trudy Karlson, Alya Kayal, Skip Laitner, Carrie Lee, Will Mallet, Larry Mishel, Pete Peterson, Ken Scott, Pat Simmons, Dan Smith, and Jill Swenson.

Retooling social science research methodologies is a luxury reserved for special occasions, for this, the brain trust behind the effort is indebted to Hazel Henderson and Jon Lickerman for moving us toward a perceptual transformation in our collective thinking about quality of life. In addition, thanks go to our colleagues who worked hard to help build the indicators, volume and website, including Bruce Kenney, Adrianne Fitch-Frankel, Shannon Pearce, Fred Chase, Elizabeth Henry, Mary Hibbing, Donna Logan, and Marybeth Anderson. Lastly, appreciation is extended to the vision and support of Barbara Krumsiek, Wayne Silby, Terry Mollner, and Reggie Stanley, present and past leaders of Calvert.