Waking the Sleeping Giant
Research Project
A
Research Project on the Impact Nonprofit Organizations have on the Poverty and
Low Income Population in the Fargo-Moorhead Area
Consultants:
Kristi Anseth
Michelle Averson
Chandra Bauer
Jamie Kinne
Erin Mayo
Jason Myrvik
Erin Schloesser
We would like to thank our seminar facilitator, Dan
Jensen. We would also like to thank the
Additionally, we would like to thank Duke Schempp,
Executive Director of People Escaping Poverty Project, for his support and
understanding. We are grateful for the sharing of his expert knowledge on the
F-M nonprofit sector.
Finally, we would like to thank the members of Waking
the Sleeping Giant especially Kelli Poehls, Teresa Dittmer, Paula Aalgaard, for
introducing us to this study and giving us a unique seminar project. We thank
them for opening our eyes to the world of nonprofits.
Consulting Team Biographies
Kristi
Anseth
Kristi earned a Bachelors of
Science in Management from
Michelle
Averson
Michelle earned a Bachelors
of Science in Management from the
Chandra
Bauer
Chandra graduated from the
Jamie
Kinne
Jamie earned a Bachelors of
Science in Psychology and Sociology from
Erin Mayo
Erin
graduated from
Jason
Myrvik
Jason is a graduate of
Sandi graduated from
Erin Schloesser
Erin
is a graduate of
Waking the Sleeping Giant is a group of
representatives from the Fargo-Moorhead (F-M) area who have joined together to
be a united voice for nonprofit organizations in the F-M community. The
organization was formed in March of 2005 from an initial challenge from North
Dakota Senator Byron Dorgan. The organization’s primary goals are to provide
media/outreach, legislative meetings, and seek accurate information for
nonprofit organizations for which it serves. As part of the graduate
curriculum, eight consultants from the
Throughout the research the following
topics were addressed: national poverty,
The consulting team concluded nonprofit
organizations bring a tremendous value to the Fargo-Moorhead area. Nonprofit
organizations provide value through the services available to community and
out-of-town citizens, employment and volunteer opportunities created, and the
payroll tax revenue generated. As government funding continues to be reduced,
it is critical for nonprofit organizations in the F-M area to keep a united
voice to assure the needs of lower income citizens living in poverty are cared
for rightfully.
Joint
Economic Committee Monitoring Poverty.
Mission & Scope of Health & Human Service Nonprofit Organizations
Quantitative Research and Analysis
Nonprofit
Percentage Contributions
Economic
Value to the F-M Community
Qualtitative Research and Analysis
Recommendation &
Implementation Plan
Recommendation &
Implementation Plan
Organization
Development: Phase 1
Consortium
Member Recruitment: Marketing Plan &
Execution:
Organization
Development: Phase 2:
Marketing
as a Consortium: Marketing Plan & Execution:
Fargo-Moorhead
Business Challenge: Day of Caring:
Future
Project Recommendations:
Appendix A: Waking the Sleeping Giant
Nonprofit Organizations
Appendix
C: Interview for Nonprofit
Administrators/Managers
Appendix
D: Working Poor Statistics
Appendix
E: National Poverty Statistics
Waking the Sleeping Giant is an alliance of nonprofit
organizations (nonprofits) and community action groups. This alliance was created in February 2005
with a mission to “influence local, state and federal health and human service
policy by strengthening the community and uniting Cass and
A month later at the Otto Bremer Foundation
Breakfast, area nonprofit organization leaders met once again and formed Waking
the Sleeping Giant. Leading the group
are representatives from the following organizations: Uniting
For Equality, People Escaping Poverty Project,
Based on the goals provided by Waking the Sleeping
Giant, this project team has established the following mission statement:
To
identify the economic and social value of nonprofit health and human service
organizations in the F-M community. This
quantitative and qualitative information can be used to educate the public, to
influence legislature, and to create a unified voice for nonprofits.
This project is an analysis of the value of health
and human service nonprofit organizations to the F-M community. Data was collected from community groups
through interviews and secondary data at the federal, state, county, and local
level. This data will be discussed in
the following sections:
·
Poverty
·
Function of
Health and Human Service Nonprofits
·
Quantitative
Value of Nonprofits in the F-M Area
·
Qualitative
Value of Nonprofits in the F-M Area
What does it
mean to be poor? A majority of the world’s population is poor. According to Shah, nearly three billion
people live on less than two dollars a day (2006). The Gross Domestic Product
(GDP) of the poorest 48 nations includes one quarter of the world’s countries.
These countries make up less than the combined wealth of the world’s three
richest people. Poor is having nearly a
billion people enter the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their names
(Shah, 2006). The focus of this study is to analyze the condition of poverty
and to look at the social and economic impact of the health and human service
nonprofits in the F-M community.
Poverty is described as “a human condition characterized by the sustained or chronic deprivation of the resources, capabilities, choices, security, and power necessary for the e