Apply now: Pro bono Research Opportunity for Nonprofits

Wilder Research will select two applicant organizations to work with between December 2022 and June 2023.

Just getting started with evaluation? Want to tackle the next piece of your existing evaluation plan? This is your opportunity to move ahead with help from the experts. We will work with your organization to determine how our services can support your needs.

Projects could include – but are not limited to – logic model development; evaluation planning and capacity building; or survey development, administration, and analysis. We can also help you use that data you already collect to tell your organization’s story to funders and others.

We intend for these projects to be collaborative partnerships. With this in mind, your organization should expect to contribute staff time and resources to the project. In order to ensure a successful project, your organization will need to designate a primary contact person and organization leader for the duration of the project. Some projects may require a minimum of 1-2 meetings per month, while others may require a higher level of engagement.

When reviewing applications, preference will be given to:

• Organizations that have not worked with Wilder Research in the past
• Small organizations that may not otherwise have access to evaluation and research services
• Organizations that serve cultural communities, including communities of color or communities that serve specific identity groups, such as LGBTQ+ populations or people with disabilities

Please note that Wilder Research will be unable to provide pro bono services to for-profit organizations through this funding source.

• October 28, 2022 – Application deadline
• October 31-December 1, 2022 – Wilder Research will review the applications and reach out to organizations with follow-up questions as needed. Those conversations will help both applicants and Wilder Research build a more detailed plan of what services the applying organization would like to pursue and what is feasible given limited funds.
• December 2, 2022 – Notification to applicants
• December 2022-June 2023 – Research and evaluation projects. All consultation services must be completed by June 30, 2023.

Below are examples of previous research with culturally specific organizations through the pro bono program. These examples are intended to help inform ideas.

• MN8: MN8’s mission is to keep Southeast Asian communities together through direct support, advocacy, community organizing, and leadership development for social and systems change. MN8 and Wilder Research partnered to conduct a community needs assessment of the Cambodian community in Minnesota to learn about their needs, challenges, and how MN8 can support them. Topics included access to food, elections and voting, health care, and immigration.
• Rebound, Inc.: Rebound, Inc. aims to improve well-being and reduce systems involvement among Black youth by providing therapeutic supports, life skill development services, and enrichment activities. Wilder Research worked with Rebound, Inc. to identify the short-term, intermediate, and long-term outcomes of Rebound, Inc.’s programming, which informed the creation of a logic model. We also developed an evaluation plan, based on the logic model, aligning Rebound, Inc.’s data collection activities with program outcomes and identifying opportunities to improve data collection, management, and analysis processes. Rebound, Inc. is using the logic model and evaluation plan to inform evaluation activities, demonstrate impact, improve programming, and secure funding.
• Raíces Sagradas: Raíces Sagradas is a community mental health organization that serves the Spanish-speaking immigrant community and is committed to providing free, culturally appropriate therapy in both Spanish and English. Wilder Research partnered with Raíces Sagradas to build a logic model for their organization, which involved working with stakeholders to identify short-term, intermediate, and long-term goals for the services they provide. Using this logic model as a guide, we then built an evaluation plan to measure the impact of a newly launched community mental health initiative. For this evaluation, we worked together to build a data collection and analysis plan that would work best for those they serve and offered detailed guidance so program staff would be able to carry out the evaluation on their own. Raíces Sagradas plans to use these tools to better communicate the scope of their work, demonstrate their impact, and secure funding.
• Oromo community assessment: We worked members of the Oromo community in the Cedar-Riverside neighborhood of Minneapolis to conduct a basic community assessment. The results of this study will help the Oromo community to tell their story to various stakeholder groups. They will also use it to make the case to funders for the need to conduct a more comprehensive community assessment that could provide an accurate picture of the number of Oromo households in the Twin Cities or Minnesota.
• Somali community mental health: Wilder Research staff responded to a request by a psychologist in the Somali community by exploring a research plan related to Somali mental health. We conducted a literature scan and key informant interviews with Imams, mental health staff, and other leaders from the Somali community. At the end of the project, we provided a summary of lessons learned, research implications and final considerations. The project showed a desire for health promotion activities around mental health in the Somali community in order to reduce stigma.
• Minnesota Transgender Health Coalition (MTHC): Wilder Research staff worked with MTHC to analyze the results of a web survey of gender reassignment surgery recipients and their post-surgery caregivers. The survey, written and administered by MTHC staff, explored the financial, social, and emotional challenges faced by post-surgery caregivers. MTHC will make results available to potential post-surgery caregivers as an informational tool.