Our partners are excited to share the results of one of the largest privately, publicly and nonprofit funded inclusivity studies in the United States.
This report identifies critical themes in community perceptions and experiences surrounding equity, diversity, inclusivity and belonging in this area—including age, gender, ethnicity and abilities.
“We believe the Greater Mankato Inclusivity Study will be a critical source of guidance for our foundation and the community to address equitable access to opportunities and resources in the region.”
—Nancy Zallek, President and CEO, Mankato Area Foundation
What is the status of inclusivity in Greater Mankato?
Throughout the fall of 2022, the Greater Mankato Inclusivity Study gathered information from those who live, study, and work in the Greater Mankato area.
Now complete, we hope you will review this extensive report. We also encourage you to view our recording of the Key Findings Launch event, available below.
The study is sponsored by twelve area organizations who are invested in making the Greater Mankato area a more inclusive place.
A Study for Our
Entire Community
Our
Process
Research & Community Engagement
(COMPLETE)
We started the study by investigating recurring experiences and central concerns around the topic of inclusivity in the Greater Mankato area. IC Edge started by reviewing reports and previous studies, then surveyed the twelve partners and interviewed 20 community leaders.
Refine Our Methodology & Data Collection
(COMPLETE)
The Investigation Phase identified seven topic areas to explore. This study seeks to obtain perspectives on these seven areas from a broad cross-section of our citizenry, including those whose voices are historically underrepresented. The areas to engage in deeper learning and discovery are Inclusivity, Safety & Safe Spaces, Healthcare, Economic Well-being, Housing, Transportation, and Education. The research methodology combines quantitative and qualitative approaches through interviews, focus groups, and a survey made available in multiple languages. Our goal is to collect 800 to 1000 survey responses.
Data Analysis & Report
(COMPLETE)
The data analysis process will apply the end-user strategy of documenting data patterns to identify common themes in community perceptions and experiences of equity, diversity, and inclusivity in the Greater Mankato Area. The report will include recommendations for community partners to address these identified issues.
Why is this study important?
Diversity
Inclusion
Equity
Belonging
Given the growth in the Greater Mankato Area, all of the participating organizations seek to ensure they are designing and providing services using an equity lens for all residents, students and commuters. This goal is nearly impossible if organizations do not fully comprehend our populations’ needs and issues. Therefore, this study is of paramount importance to set the stage for understanding, outreach, and well-designed services to move the community closer to its values and aspirational mission and vision.
What do organizations plan to do with this information?
The opinions and perspectives gathered from this study will be included in a report that partner organizations plan to use in a variety of ways. The uses range from improving their own organizational diversity and inclusivity efforts and addressing barriers to services, to future planning and decision-making. The methods that we are using to gather information include interviews with community members, focus groups, and a community-wide survey. The study is conducted by a national firm, IC Edge, that provides diversity, equity, and inclusion coaching, assessments, and education.
The Greater Mankato Inclusivity Study gives us a starting point to know Greater Mankato’s status of inclusivity and helps us measure our future efforts.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do not delete
How will the information be used?
The opinions and perspectives gathered from this study will be included in a report that Greater Mankato organizations can use in a variety of ways, from improving their own organizational diversity and inclusivity efforts and addressing barriers to services, to future planning and decision-making.
What will the report include?
The report will include:
- A project background section including descriptive statistics and an overview of the project process
- An overview of the Greater Mankato Inclusivity Study methodology and its major elements: interviews with community members, focus groups, and the community survey
- A breakdown of the Investigative Phase with a detailed narrative of major themes and patterns that emerged from the interviews with community members
- A narrative of common themes and findings from the focus groups
- Analysis of survey results, with extracted data and images to highlight major points
- Synthesis of themes and patterns from all phases of the study
- Images, charts, appendices to illustrate, highlight, and underscore findings
What are the specific areas of inquiry in the survey?
- Inclusivity
- Safety & Safe Spaces
- Healthcare
- Economic Well-being
- Housing
- Transportation
- Education
- Additional issues connected to the status of inclusivity in the Greater Mankato area as those surfaced in the focus groups and interviews.
What will follow this project?
The information gathered from the Greater Mankato Inclusivity Study (GMIS) will be used to inform the Greater Mankato Area communities (leaders, companies, nonprofits, educators, faith groups, government entities) about our current state of inclusivity, equity, and diversity. The GMIS Partners intend this information to be a resource for addressing ways in which the Greater Mankato Area can build a more inclusive and welcoming community.
In what languages is the survey available?
The survey is available in seven languages with completion assistance available for all.
Online: Arabic, English, Nuer, Somali, and Spanish
Paper: Arabic, Anuak, English, Hmong, Nuer, Somali, and Spanish
Coordinating Partners
Lead Partners
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