Community Needs Assessments and Planning

Our team members have worked in hundreds of communities across the nation, conducting needs assessments and related community improvement initiatives. Our team is well versed in Public Health Accreditation Board (PHAB) Standards for compliance with public health accreditation, Mobilizing for Action through Partnership and Planning (MAPP 2.0) research methods through the National Association of City and County Health Officers (NACCHO), as well as IRS 501 (r ) (3) standards for charitable hospital associations for Community Health Needs Assessments (CHNA) and Community Health Improvement Planning (CHIP) processes. Collectively, we have assisted more than 200 public health departments, hospitals, and health systems, FQHCs, and other CBOs in conducting meaningful needs assessments.

 This vast experience has enabled us to hone our research methods to develop practical, localized strategies that direct action and funding to achieve realistic, measurable social impact.  Interpreting research findings, we guide organizations and the communities they serve in developing practical, place-based strategies that build on shared priorities.

Community-Based Research

Our goal with any project is to build local capacity to accurately interpret and use data to track progress over time.  Over the past 20 years, we have partnered with public health departments, hospitals, and an array of community-based organizations to conduct needs assessments; statistical research and analysis; focus groups and stakeholder surveys; program evaluation and design; capacity building; and strategic planning. Our approach centers on building connections, leveraging Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) practices to inform our exploration and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative data.

All of our surveys, interviews, and focus groups are always conducted in English and Spanish to broaden access to participation. Our team strives to elevate strategies that remove barriers and increase opportunities for all, which starts by acknowledging and affirming the local characteristics that make us unique.

Strategic Organizational Improvement

We have worked with housing agencies, federally qualified health centers (FQHC), hospital networks, public health, city and county governments, foundations, coalitions and other entities to increase financial, operational and programmatic sustainability. Taking a 360-degree view of the organization, we conduct a diagnostic analysis of core competencies, determine unmet community needs that align with mission, foster strategic partnerships, secure new funding streams, and analyze ways to streamline processes to help organizations grow.

 Engaging teams and including change management as part of the process is central to ensuring growth is sustainable, equitable and inclusive for staff and clients. Our goal is to utilize our team’s unique skill sets and local, lived experience to capture, condense, and leverage existing experiences to create a strategic plan to increase opportunities for the organization, their staff and the people they serve.

Strategic Capacity Building

35th Street Consulting will work with organizations to bring fresh eyes and a global perspective to assess and invigorate organizational strategy and design. 35th Street Consulting designs pathways for current staff to build the skills and confidence to lead their teams through transition.

Coaching

35th Street Consulting can provide one-on-one coaching for senior managers, executives or emerging leaders and social entrepreneurs.

Capacity Building Philosophy

35th Street Consulting is committed to the concept of accompaniment – once research and team building determines a strategic direction, we will accompany staff until the confidence and routine is built to move your team to the next level.

Project Management

New ideas and opportunities sometimes emerge without completed structures in place that can lead to mistakes. 35th Street Consulting can provide short-term management support in the following areas:

  • Providing effective and responsive transitional leadership

  • Workflow management to ensure key goals are met in a timely manner

  • Facilitating working groups

  • Ensuring effective communication between partners

  • Documenting work process, procedures and feedback

  • Investigating best practices to ensure the most effective project protocols for the task at hand are implemented

  • Outlining goals, objectives and evaluation strategy

Community and Supportive Services Design for Neighborhood Transformation

Through hands on experience and up to date research on current best practices and public policy opportunities, 35th Street Consulting provides technical assistance that retains roots, and revitalizes neighborhoods.  Providing assistance to housing authorities, developers and community development corporations undergoing or interested in undertaking neighborhood revitalization projects, 35th Street Consulting provides technical assistance to design community and supportive services process that:

  • Build the capacity of the initial residents

  • Minimize displacement

  • Generate opportunities to create civic integration

  • Work towards facilitating a sustainable mixed income community

  • Create strategies that are inclusive and supportive of youth input and engagement

  • Include practical evaluation tools to measure efficacy and adjust as the environment evolves