Apply now: Pro bono Research for Organizations Serving Culturally Specific Communities

Wilder Research will select 3-4 applicant organizations to work with between November 2021 and June 2022.

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.

Your organization should expect to contribute work hours to 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 15, 2021 – Application deadline
• October 15-October 29, 2021 – 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.
• November 8, 2021 – Notification to applicants
• November 2021-June 2022 – Research and evaluation projects. All consultation services must be completed by June 30, 2022.

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

• 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.
• The Wolves Den: The Wolves Den is a nonprofit organization that provides housing and supportive services for Native American women who are addicted to opiates and in recovery using methadone therapy. Wilder Research developed a theory of change that showed how this new nonprofit’s services and activities lead to outcomes. We also developed an evaluation plan to help them measure their outcomes. These tools helped The Wolves Den guide the development of the program and seek funding and other types of support.
• 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: 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.