Request for proposals for survey, focus group of residential renters

Project: Neighborhood Renter Survey
Organization: Waite Park Community Council
Date: September 18, 2023

The Waite Park Community Council (WPCC) in Northeast Minneapolis is seeking proposals from qualified firms to conduct a survey and focus group of renters in our neighborhood. The purpose of the survey is to better understand the needs and interests of the approximately 250 rental households in the neighborhood.

Scope of Work

The firm selected to conduct the survey will be responsible for the following tasks:

• Working with WPCC leaders to develop a survey instrument that is clear, concise, and easy to understand

• Distributing the survey to all rental households in the neighborhood

• Convening a virtual focus group

• Collecting and analyzing the survey data and focus group discussion

• Preparing a report that summarizes the findings

Timeline

The survey and focus group should be completed within 6 months of the award of the contract.

Budget

The total budget for the project should not exceed $10,000.

Qualifications

The firm selected to conduct the survey must have the following qualifications:

• Experience conducting surveys and focus groups that reach underrepresented populations

• Expertise in data collection and analysis

• A proven track record of producing high-quality reports

Submission Instructions

Proposals must be submitted in writing to Waite Park Community Council at survey@waiteparkcc.org by Oct. 18, 2023.

Evaluation Criteria

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• The quality of the survey instrument

• The firm’s experience conducting surveys of renters

• The firm’s expertise in data collection and analysis

• The firm’s track record of producing high-quality reports

• The total cost of the proposal

Selection Process

The Waite Park Community Council will select the firm to conduct the survey and focus group based on the evaluation criteria. The selected firm will be notified by Oct. 30, 2023.

Questions

If you have any questions about this RFP, please contact Waite Park Community Council at survey@waiteparkcc.org.

Thank you for your interest in this project.

Waite Park neighborhood survey deadline extended to Sept. 10

The Waite Park Community Council has extended the deadline for submitting responses to our 2022 survey until September 10.

As an organization, we strive to create and nurture a neighborhood where all identities are welcomed, included and celebrated. Help us understand how we can achieve this goal by best serving you! 

We invite you to share your ideas, experiences, and perspective to inform future organizational programming and priorities. Your responses are anonymous and will be collected to elevate common themes, ideas and priorities. 

We want to make it as easy as possible for you to share your feedback. You can:

• Complete digital survey online (surveys also available in Hmong, Spanish, Oromo and Somali)

• Complete paper form (enclosed in the recent Waite Park Voice print newsletter). You may fold and mail the survey to the address printed on the back, or bring it to one of the following drop off locations:

  • Cosmic Coffee, 3301 NE Central Ave, Minneapolis, MN 55418

  • Mt Carmel Lutheran Church, 1701 St Anthony Pkwy, Minneapolis, MN 55418

  • Waite Park Wesleyan Church 1510 33rd Ave NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418

  • Waite Park Community Garden  3601 Lincoln St NE, Minneapolis, MN 55418

The deadline to complete the survey is September 10th.

You will have a chance to learn about the results of the community-wide survey in late fall 2022.

—Waite Park Equitable Engagement Committee

WPCC seeking proposals from equity-focused data consultants

The Waite Park Community Council is seeking proposals from equity-focused data consultants for the creation, implementation, and analysis of surveys and focus groups for our Equitable Engagement Plan.

The Council’s goal is to meaningfully engage marginalized communities that have been historically underrepresented in neighborhood decision making. The goal of the surveys and focus groups will be to gather information from the communities of interest including: BIPOC neighbors, older adults, and residents who rent in the community. 

The full timeline can be found in the RFP. Please do not hesitate to reach out to our Equitable Engagement Planning Committee if you have questions or need additional clarification at engagement@waiteparkcc.org.

The Council is accepting proposals until Friday, June 17th .

WPCC to discuss state of neighborhood home improvement loan programs

The Waite Park Community Council is scheduled to discuss the state of its home improvement and emergency home repair loan programs at its regular monthly board meeting this week.

The community council partners with the Center for Energy and Environment to offer two home loan programs for neighborhood residents. The zero-interest Waite Park Home Improvement Loan program offers up to $15,000 to borrowers earning no more than 80% of Area Median Income. The Waite Park Emergency Deferred Loan, which also has a 0% APR, offers up to $5,000 and has no income limits for borrowers.

Jim Hasnik, director of lending services with the Center for Energy and Environment, is scheduled to give an overview of the program and answer questions for WPCC board members and neighborhood residents. The board may then consider changes to the programs, though none have been proposed in advance.

Participation in the programs has recently fallen off, with several months passing since the last loan was issued. In addition to possible modifications, the board may also discuss ways to raise awareness and better promote the programs so more residents can take advantage of them.

Other items on the agenda include the community council’s upcoming campaign with the city’s Just Deeds program, an updated request for proposals for the council’s Equitable Engagement Plan outreach, and logistics for an upcoming diversity, equity and inclusion retreat for board members.

The meeting is open to the public and will take place at 7pm, Thursday, May 26, via Zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84266074428). If you are a Waite Park community member and you have an update or announcement you would like to share at the meeting, email agenda@waiteparkcc.org. Full agenda is posted below.

WAITE PARK COMMUNITY COUNCIL
REGULAR BOARD MEETING AGENDA
MAY 26, 2022 via Zoom

7:00: Call to order and land acknowledgement

7:05: Welcome, approval of agenda and April minutes

7:10:  COMMUNITY REPORTS/UPDATES
Parks update, Brian Hall
Community Ed update, Sandi McDonald
Rain Garden update, Kate

7:20. Discussion of home loan programs, Dan
Guest: Jim Hasnik, Center for Energy and Environment

8:00. Racial covenants campaign, Lucas/Dan

8:10. RFP for Equitable Engagement Plan, Leah

8:20 Designation of whistleblower and EEO contact, Dan

8:30. Board retreat, Lucas

8:40: BOARD REPORTS/UPDATES
Treasurer’s Report, Megan
Communications, Gary/Dan
Community Connections, Dan/Gary/Ali
Fall Festival, Scott

9:00: Adjourn

WPCC extends deadline for equity-focused data consultant proposals

Update 4/5/2022: The Waite Park Community Council has extended the deadline for proposals to May 1, 2022.

The Waite Park Community Council is seeking proposals from equity-focused data consultants for the creation, implementation, and analysis of surveys and focus groups for our Equitable Engagement Plan. The Council's goal is to meaningfully engage marginalized communities that have been historically underrepresented in neighborhood decision making. The goal of the surveys and focus groups will be to gather information from the communities of interest including: BIPOC neighbors, older adults, and residents who rent in the community. 

 The Council is accepting proposals until Tuesday, March 15, 2022 at https://forms.gle/7QvHwNWWBfTPvnT2A

 Desired Qualifications:

• Demonstrated experience creating, implementing, and analyzing surveys and/or focus groups

• Ability to design and implement surveys and/or focus groups at a neighborhood scale

• Two references from previous clients 

Equitable Engagement Plan will guide board outreach efforts in coming years

The Waite Park Community Council has completed a draft plan that will guide the board’s efforts to improve community engagement with historically underrepresented populations in the neighborhood.

As part of the City of Minneapolis's Neighborhood 2020 Program, each neighborhood is allocated funds to support projects and programs that engage communities with a focus on equity (known as the Equitable Engagement Plan, or EEP). 

A team of WPCC board members has been working on the plan, and we have been focused on how WPCC can facilitate better community engagement within the neighborhood, specifically with historically underrepresented populations in Waite Park. Throughout the process we have asked who is missing from the conversation and how we can involve those voices so our EEP reflects all of our neighbors.

The committee met weekly to discuss the plan and held two public meetings to hear from neighbors about what's on their mind and how we can listen. We submitted the draft EEP to the City on September 1 and have since been updating the EEP with suggestions and more neighbor input.

The draft Waite Park EEP seeks to engage renters, age 55+, and Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) communities. This will be done through surveys and focus groups for each demographic. The demographics were chosen based on census data and input from a neighborhood meeting held on Aug. 17. 

WPCC initially included (as a group for outreach) folks who get around through transportation methods other than cars but was advised by the city to integrate this in with the other demographics groups that will be included in the EEP. WPCC still needs to determine a contractor to conduct a survey and focus groups as well as analyze the data. This will be done at a later date.

WPCC will submit it's final draft to the city by October 15 and funds will be dispersed on January 1, 2022. Neighbors can share insights on implementation of the EEP by emailing WPCC and attending WPCC meetings.

—Megan Ausen

Join us for two neighborhood meetings about our Equitable Engagement Plan

You are invited to attend two public meetings to aid the development of Waite Park’s Equitable Engagement Plan. Please come share your thoughts on strategies that promote the engagement of everyone who lives and works in Waite Park; especially engagement in WPCC decision-making by those who have been historically underrepresented. 

The Equitable Engagement Plan (EEP) is a new requirement for neighborhood organizations to be recognized by the city and eligible for funding under the city’s Equitable Engagement Fund. More information is available here.

There will be a virtual meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 17 and an in-person meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 28 (either outside at Waite Park or inside the community center), both at 7pm.

Please RSVP for the meeting link and more location details by completing this form.

If you would like to submit suggestions related to the development of the plan or get involved in the development of the EEP beyond the two public meetings, please contact waiteparkcc@gmail.com.