Cultural Outreach and Racial Equity Collective NFP

Indigenous communities and individuals from [previously] underrepresented and historically marginalized communities continue to face extreme disparities in social, educational, and professional settings. They are often discriminated against, receive lack of resources, support and opportunities and experience heightened instances of violence. We aim to provide resources and services that impact the injustices, inequities and misconceptions of BIPOC folks, with a strong focus on Indigenous communities and their unique needs.

We are dedicated to fostering collaboration and engagement through initiatives that promote cultural understanding and advance racial equity in society, business, and education. We actively work to build bridges throughout communities and organizations, emphasizing programs that celebrate diversity and address racial disparity, while empowering underrepresented groups and contributing to positive social impact.

Project Scope:

Our projects include but are not limited to: 

• Learning and development opportunities for historically marginalized, diverse or underrepresented communities
• Strategic planning and organizational development for organizations, businesses and other entities to address inequities and/or disparities within their systems
o DEI, talent management, employee engagement, hiring, development and more
• Community impact through cultural awareness 
• Community outreach and education programs for underserved populations
• Providing training, facilitation, and workshops on recognizing and counteracting systemic racism, developing psychological safety, interrupting bias, mitigating microaggressions, inclusive leadership, effective feedback, diversity and inclusion initiatives and more
• Advocating for policy changes to promote racial equity
• Supporting marginalized communities through funding, resource connections, etc.
• Building partnerships between community organizations to advance shared goals around racial justice
• Conducting research on issues related to representation and access for people of color, the LGTBQIA+ community, low-income families and more
• Creating inclusive cultural events and spaces for open dialogue, storytelling and courageous conversations

Project sample:

In partnership with local entities, we are working to develop a series of learning events to bridge the gaps between the local Indigenous population and the community in an effort to collaborate and create engagement through storytelling and learning and development, while mitigating bias and further mistrust of the local government for land stolen and abuse of power. To read more about this project, visit: Mannhouse Consulting - Community Impact.

Our solution will be to provide resources and services that impact the injustices, inequities and misconceptions of Indigenous persons and their experiences.

Our solution in reference to this particular challenge will consist of developing a holistic and sustainable, strategic resource portal and application specific to Indigenous communities where they can experience educational access and support to learning and development opportunities, employment, coaching and skills development, up-skilling and capability development, local, community and cultural resources including education on Indigenous values, Indigenous leadership development, language revitalization and ancestral food ways.

This solution also has a component of providing the access to the technology required to sustain the above by collaborating with local support networks that will enable in-kind services such as computer/broadband access, wifi, cellphone, etc. Additionally, our organization has goals to provide these same resources in areas where local communities might not have the means (donating lap tops, PCs, cellphones, headsets and other tech required). 

Solution example for language revitalization: 

We will develop a sustainable language learning program (course) attainable virtually and provide the necessary tech for folks to participate on a cyclical basis through a cohort experience. 

Our solution has the ability to benefits a wide range of communities; however, for the purpose of this challenge, we will be focusing on supporting two communities, one local to Illinois and the other local to New Jersey. We have team members in both locations to support this initiative. The tribes impacted are members of the Potawatomi, Ramapough Lenape, Ojibwe and Cherokee. We are working directly with the folks in need to support their identified needs throughout the entirety of this project.  

This solution addresses their needs by providing them access and resources to opportunities they otherwise would not have. 

We are equipped to support this solution and the effected communities as each member of our team is Indigenous / BIPOC or a member of other marginalized communities, and first generation academic and career professionals who have experienced and at times overcome the inequities and challenges of our experience due to resources we were able to receive such as this. 

We are and will continue to work directly with these communities to design solutions that solve for their challenges and opportunities. 

We have chosen pilot as our stage as we are currently in the process of designing and developing the solutions to impact these communities. We have several large organizational partnerships committed to supporting this work and a team executing these initiatives that are serving as our program team. We have done our needs assessment, SWOT analysis, action planning and are piloting development. Thus far we have privately and individually provided learning opportunities to 10 organizations on cultural competence, inclusion, bias and equitable organizational development.  

We face several barriers in being able to execute these solutions including capital, market reach and tech support. As folks from URP communities, we do not have the financial support to implement this approach. Additionally, while we have a wide network of professionals and subject matter experts willing to support the cause, we do not have the resources or reach to socialize this project at scale and take it to market. Additionally, we do have the experience to develop the learning platform and program elements; however, we do not have the expertise for application development and do not have the tech needs and skills required. 

A registered member of one community and local community partner of the others. 

This solution is innovative in its approach as it’s being developed and delivered with these populations in mind. This allows us to tailor the project for each community we support considerably. This is not a one-size-fits-all approach like many solutions out there. Additionally, this method is designed and developed by folks who have firsthand experience in similar spaces as our intended audience. This gives us the unique perspective to create and deliver in a way allies may not be able to. This project is repeatable and scalable, providing future growth and opportunities for success in other communities, industries and sectors. 

This solution is guaranteed to have an impact on the problem because it directly involves the communities in the development process to determine their unique needs. The supports received through this solution provide long-term impacts on career, education and social outcomes through learning and collaboration. Leveraging Anthropological approaches to community understanding, we will work directly with impacted individuals for needs assessments and more, ensuring we are hitting the mark with our solutions.  

Our impact goals are transformational in the lives of Indigenous, low-income and underrepresented/marginalized communities. Through this solution we will be able to provide educational and career connectivity for folks who otherwise would not have the opportunity to achieve success in addition to broader community development and growth. Specific impact goals measured are as follows: the number of individuals supported, the number of organizations trained, the number of community events hosted and the engagement/satisfaction of all of the above.  

We will use a wide variety of both modern and traditional technology systems for flexibility and ease of access and execution for individuals, communities and organizations. These different systems will be utilized as determined by the specific needs per project execution. 

The modern technology utilized in this solution will be computers/chrome books, SMS messaging, AI learning, MS Teams/Zoom, learning management systems. 

The traditional knowledge systems will be ethnographic storytelling, traditional beadwork and textile practices, Indigenous language learning and more. 

Additionally, we will be leveraging quantitative and qualitative research and data collection and analysis.  

Currently we are operating in the Northern region of Illinois

Within the next year we will be expanding development to New Jersey. 

Development team = 4, Project team = 17, volunteer facilitators/coaches = 6

We have been working on this solution for one year

Our organization and our goals are all centered around diversity, equity and inclusion. With this in mine, we have an extremely diverse team working on this solution as part of our commitment to the organization's goals. We achieve this by ensuring our team members are not homogeneous and have a distinct set of values and personal objectives. Our team is comprised of folks from a variety of cultural backgrounds including Indigenous, Black, Latin/Hispanic and white. Additionally, all of our team members have varied backgrounds relating to their lived experiences, education backgrounds, career path, professional status as well as socio-economic status. 

We provide value to our target populations through a range of products and services aimed at promoting cultural understanding, advancing racial equity, and empowering underrepresented and marginalized communities. The key customers and beneficiaries of the organization include:

1. Public, private, and non-profit organizations seeking strategic planning, organizational development, or training to address systemic inequities and disparities within their systems.
2. Educational institutions, corporations, business owners, human resources professionals, program managers, and CEOs who want to increase success in equitable organizational development, education, training, learning, policy development, engagement, inclusion, talent management, or direct DEI services.
3. Individual community members from underrepresented or marginalized backgrounds who need resources and support for gaining opportunities and success in life, education, and career.
4. Community groups in need of resources for growing education, awareness, collaborating with local entities, and developing members in life, education, or career.
5. Community impact organizations and non-profits needing support to amplify and engage communities and individuals from underrepresented groups.

The products and services provided by C.O.R.E. Collective NFP to these customers and beneficiaries include:

1. Learning and development opportunities for historically marginalized, diverse, or underrepresented communities.
2. Strategic planning and organizational development services for organizations to address inequities and disparities within their systems, such as DEI initiatives, talent management, employee engagement, hiring, and development.
3. Community impact through cultural awareness development programs.
4. Community outreach and education programs for underserved populations.
5. Training, facilitation, and workshops on topics like recognizing and counteracting systemic racism, developing psychological safety, interrupting bias, mitigating microaggressions, inclusive leadership, effective feedback, and diversity and inclusion initiatives.
6. Advocacy for policy changes to promote racial equity.
7. Supporting marginalized communities through funding, resource connections, and partnerships between community organizations.
8. Conducting research on issues related to representation and access for people of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, low-income families, and more.
9. Creating inclusive cultural events and spaces for open dialogue, storytelling, and courageous conversations.
10. Community revitalization efforts.

These products and services are provided through various delivery methods, including in-person, virtual, and hybrid options, tailored to the specific needs of the customers and communities they serve.

The organization's target customers and beneficiaries need these products and services to address systemic inequities, promote cultural understanding, and create more equitable and inclusive environments in their organizations, communities, and society as a whole. By providing these services, C.O.R.E. Collective NFP aims to drive positive social change and contribute to a more equitable human experience.

The organization generates revenue through a diverse range of streams, including grants, program service fees, donations, and earned income from the services rendered. This diversified revenue model ensures sustainability and supports the organization's mission of fostering collaboration, engagement, and racial equity.

Cultural Outreach and Racial Equity Collective NFP will diversify revenue streams to allow for sustainability in operations and growth. We anticipate grants receipt, financial giving, fundraising, in-kind support and earned income through services rendered. We will offer services in a variety of pricing structures. All pricing is designed and developed with project, client, community, customer needs in mind. 

The examples below are subject to change given individual project remit and serve as examples only. All pricing examples are based off of current market price:

• Speaking services:
  • Storytelling: $1,500
  • Education (60 minutes): $2,500
  • Action planning (inclusive of the above + action): $4,000
• Training services:
  • Dependent upon organizational structure / size, audience, timeline, materials, deliver and reach
  •  Small scale: $3,000 to $10,000
  •  Workshop: $20,000 to 50,000
  • Travel fees vary
• Consultation:
  • Four, virtual one-hour sessions or eight thirty-minute sessions over six months: $6000
  • One-year holistic support, virtual up to four hours monthly: $40,000
• Program Evaluation:
  • Designed as a monthly support process inclusive of assessment, evaluation, collaborative planning, evolution development and delivery
  • 2-month, weekly planning: $15,000
  • 6-month, bi-weekly planning: $27,000
  • 12-month, monthly planning: $50,000
• Strategy Development / Needs assessment / SWOT analysis
  • Inclusive of assessment and evaluation, collaborative planning, framework development and delivery
  • 6-month, weekly planning: $40,000
  • 12-month, monthly planning: $65,000
  • 12-month, bi-weekly planning: $80,000
• Focus Groups
  • Inclusive of structure development, execution, analysis and results
  • One one-hour session or two thirty-minute session: $4,000
  • Six one-hour sessions: $12,000
  • Eight thirty-minute sessions: $10,000
• Mentorship / Coaching and Development Planning:
  • 1:1 – two dialogue sessions and development plan delivery: $800pp
  • Small group (3-5) – two dialogue sessions and individual development plan delivery: $750pp
• Project development (project costs not included):
  • 2-month, weekly planning: $15,000
  • 6-month, bi-weekly planning: $30,000
  • 12-month, monthly planning: $60,000
• Daily retainer: training, facilitation, or consulting
  • Annual revenue up to $400,000: $2,000
  • Annual revenue $400,000 to $2mil: $3,500
  • Annual revenue over $2mil: $5,000
• Monthly retainer: $2000 - $20,000
• Single deliverables: $8,000-$50,000
• Hourly rates:
  • Non-profit: $150
  • State / Government: $250-$600
  • For profit:
    • 3k or less employees: $200-$400
    • 3k-10k employees: $400-$600
    • 10k employees: $600-$1,000

 Annual Example of anticipated revenue:

• Grants: $150,000
• Program service fees: $100,000
• Donations: $25,000
• Total revenue: $275,000

 Annual target: $300,000