Uncategorized Archives - Polis Institute

Increasing Household Income

Historic East Winter Garden Culture of Health

Background

Historic East Winter Garden is a vibrant historically Black community in the City of Winter Garden, Florida. Once home to a bustling “Black Downtown,” the community has faced critical challenges amidst decades of disinvestment and the loss of its schools. The City of Winter Garden established a CRA encompassing the neighborhood with the goal of revitalizing the community and increasing opportunities for its residents.

Action

Polis Institute deployed True Impact tools in three phases of community action work to improve socio-economic outcomes alongside East Winter Garden Residents. In each phase, community members were recruited, hired, and trained to be integral members of community survey teams. In phases two and three, residents completed Propel Leadership training, which included pitching community projects. Funders provided residents with a total of $75,000 for their community initiatives. Successful outcomes for Propel Leadership Graduates include establishing a mobile COVID-19 testing program, going on to collaborate with the American Heart Association to increase access to healthy food sources, developing a program to assist parents in developing healthy parenting skills and increasing the operational capacity of a youth workforce training program.

Results

As of 2023 per capita income in East Winter Garden has increased by 28%. With residents leading the charge for equitable revitalization, the East Winter Garden Redevelopment Plan is in full gear. Forty-two community ambassadors were part of Impact Stewardship in the neighborhood. 23% of Polis Institute’s project budget was invested in True Impact solutions directly flowing into neighborhood households.

Solutions

Community Leadership Training
Paid Community Ambassadors & Surveyors
Community Engagement Campaigns
Grassroots Capacity Building Resources
Community-Wide Visioning Events
Impact Strategy Consulting
Revitalization Network Development

Increasing Household Income

Historic East Winter Garden Culture of Health Background Historic East Winter Garden is a vibrant historically Black community in the City of Winter Garden, Florida. Once home to a bustling “Black Downtown,” the community has faced critical challenges amidst decades...

Equity Wins – Decreasing Poverty in an Historic Community

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Leaders to the Front

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Family Strength

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Contact

Phone: 1 (866) 757-1334 Email: Info at Polisinsitute.org Mail: PO Box 560531 Orlando Florida, 32856

Asset-Based Surveys vs. Needs-Based Surveys

Door-to-door community surveys are commonplace, especially in low income areas. I recently heard a long-term resident of such a neighborhood say, "We're like rats in a cage here. People always studying us, trying to fix us." Universities, non-profits, community...

Equity Wins – Decreasing Poverty in an Historic Community

Background

Eatonville, Florida is a national treasure, and the oldest incorporated Black town in the nation. Founded in 1887, and immortalized by its famous daughter, Zora Neale Hurston, Eatonville’s legacy of Black excellence is woven into the community fabric. As the socio-economic landscape shifted in the early 21st century and in the shadow of the same racially tinged disinvestment policies that have impacted countless historic Black communities, Eatonvillians found themselves facing a range of obstacles impacting residents’ health, wealth, and educational outcomes.

Action

Polis Institute deployed True Impact tools in two phases of community action work to improve socio-economic outcomes alongside Eatonvilians. In both phases community members took part in Propel Leadership Training to increase capacity in resident led community action work. In phase one residents and partners focused on increasing health outcomes with an emphasis on addressing high rates of diabetes. In phase two residents and partners collobareted on Community Action Planning in concert with a new Eatonville Master Plan. Implementation of the Community Action Plan will increase socio-economic equity in tandem with historic preservation and development opportunities. A network of committed partners was created to collaborate with residents on ongoing initiatives improving health, wealth, economic mobility, and educational outcomes.

Results

While many factors contribute to socio-economic changes, it’s notable that the Town’s poverty rate has decreased by 10% since Polis Institute began collaborative efforts for True Impact outcomes. In addition, the work of residents and partners, including Polis Institute, led to Eatonville’s receipt of the Robert Wood Johnson Culture of Health Prize.

37% of the project budget went to direct investments elevating immediate impacts. Along with increasing the capacity of community-led organizations by expanding resources for engagement and evaluation, Polis Institute graduated 64 Leaders in Propel Leadership Training. Fourteen Community Ambassadors and Surveyors participated in the project.

Solutions

Community Leadership Training
Paid Community Ambassadors & Surveyors
Community Engagement Campaigns
Grassroots Capacity Building Resources
Community-Wide Visioning Events
Impact Strategy Consulting
Revitalization Network Development
Community Action Plan

Increasing Household Income

Historic East Winter Garden Culture of Health Background Historic East Winter Garden is a vibrant historically Black community in the City of Winter Garden, Florida. Once home to a bustling “Black Downtown,” the community has faced critical challenges amidst decades...

Equity Wins – Decreasing Poverty in an Historic Community

Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.

Leaders to the Front

Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.

Family Strength

Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.

Contact

Phone: 1 (866) 757-1334 Email: Info at Polisinsitute.org Mail: PO Box 560531 Orlando Florida, 32856

Asset-Based Surveys vs. Needs-Based Surveys

Door-to-door community surveys are commonplace, especially in low income areas. I recently heard a long-term resident of such a neighborhood say, "We're like rats in a cage here. People always studying us, trying to fix us." Universities, non-profits, community...

Leaders to the Front

Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.

Family Strength

Your content goes here. Edit or remove this text inline or in the module Content settings. You can also style every aspect of this content in the module Design settings and even apply custom CSS to this text in the module Advanced settings.

Contact

Phone: 1 (866) 757-1334

Email: Info at Polisinsitute.org

Mail: PO Box 560531 Orlando Florida, 32856

Asset-Based Surveys vs. Needs-Based Surveys

Door-to-door community surveys are commonplace, especially in low income areas. I recently heard a long-term resident of such a neighborhood say, “We’re like rats in a cage here. People always studying us, trying to fix us.” Universities, non-profits, community groups, government officials – everyone wants to know “What should we do to help people in this community?” A common response to that question is, “Well, let’s first find out what people need.” This often prompts the commissioning of a needs-based survey that catalogs and prioritizes these needs. The results serve as supporting evidence for raising funds and as a baseline against which progress can be measured over time.

Asset-based approaches stem from a desire to know “What do people in the community care about enough to act on themselves?” And, “What resources are already present in the community to make a start.” These types of surveys yield ideas, reveal trusted groups and leaders, and expose the talents and interests of residents. The survey process is used as a catalyst for conversation and the foundation of community-led initiatives.

The differences between these two approaches, and the types of surveys that result, go far beyond the mere ‘glass half-full/glass half-empty’ perspective. They are actually two different glasses used for two different purposes and having two different primary financial beneficiaries. The purpose of the needs-based ‘glass’ is to provide services to a community while the purpose of the asset-based ‘glass’ is to engage community interests and skills. The needs-based glass is designed to primarily benefit service providers financially while the asset-based glass should primarily benefits residents financially. Both approaches involve needs and assets and both can be viewed from ‘half-full/half-empty’ perspectives. The difference is in who owns the glass – service providers or residents – and what’s in the glass – talents of service providers or talents of residents.

For entities outside of a community that want to help, following an asset-based approach means doing things with the community rather than for the community. It requires emphasizing and utilizing what the community has to offer over what it lacks. And it is is distinguished by the types of initiatives that result – who is involved, what the goals are, who leads, how they are sustained, and who benefits financially. Greater community involvement results in more sustainable initiatives and greater community impact over the long term. If you want to empower a community to chart its own path forward, needs based services will never get you there. It is simply a different ‘glass’ altogether than the asset-based glass.

The table below contrasts some of the key differences between asset and needs-based surveys:

Needs-Based Surveys	Asset-Based Surveys
Focus on learning about the needs of a community so that services can be provided for them or goods can be given to them.	Focus on learning from a community so that initiatives can be built by the community and with the community.
Pose an extensive list of closed-ended questions to a minimum representative sample of a community.	Pose a short list of open-ended questions to as many people in the community as possible.
Yield problems for which a service provider can provide solutions and programs.	Yield ideas most likely to directly engage the community in addressing their hopes and concerns.
Constrains community-wide vision of the future.	Unlocks community-wide vision of the future.