The Neighborhoods 2020 guidelines have a whole new set of requirements around participation and outreach.

What is the problem NCR is trying to solve here? Were neighborhood organizations failing to engage and support residents? No, in fact the data from neighborhood program annual reports from 2015 to 2019 shows that almost all neighborhood organizations actively work to reach out to residents. This is a "strawman" issue created by NCR to make it appear they are accomplishing something.

What does the data say?

Door-to-door:
According to the the 2015 Neighborhood Programs Annual Report neighborhood organizations reached almost 40,000 doors through door-knocking and flyering.

Although NCR did not include these numbers in their 2018 Neighborhood Programs Annual Report, 43 neighborhood organizations in Minneapolis reported reaching 14,775 households through door-knocking, and most neighborhood organizations reached another 98,878 through flyering.

Neighborhood and Committee Meetings:
In the 2019 Neighborhood Programs Annual Report, NCR reported that:

• 100% held regular committee meetings or discussion groups that were open to all.
• 97% held at least one general membership or community meeting (in addition to their required annual meeting) to gather input from residents about a neighborhood-specific initiative.
• 90% hosted at least one general membership or committee meeting in response to a City request for input, such as Minneapolis 2040 or a Public Works project.
• 48% conducted one or more focus groups with residents.

Other neighborhood organization outreach:
Further, NCR reported in the 2019 Neighborhood Programs Annual Report that neighborhood organizations used a broad array of outreach methods to engage residents and other stakeholders:

• 75% worked on an issue of interest to an underrepresented group within the neighborhood.
• 36% provided notices of annual and special meetings in multiple languages.
• 25% provided newsletter articles or web pages in multiple languages.
• 77% targeted apartment buildings to reach renters.
• 77% tabled at events or locations such as farmers markets and cultural events.
• 46% held focus groups or public meetings inclusive of underrepresented communities.
• 84% reviewed participation activities and identified new leaders and volunteers for programs, committees and boards.
• 48% held pop-up events.

We have previously documented just a few of these specific stories here: Great Stories About Great Neighborhoods!

NRP Phase 1 Planning:
It should be noted that neighborhood organizations have always taken care when engaging residents. Neighborhood planning for Phase 1 NRP programs took on average 40 months to plan and approve their NRP Phase 1 plans in the 1990s, with the median being 34 months. The 18 most diverse neighborhood organizations in the City took on average more than 44 months to develop their Phase 1 neighborhood plans.

With more than $180 million on the table, and the serious issues facing Minneapolis neighborhoods in the early 1990s, you might think neighborhood organizations would be in a hurry to finish their plans. But many reported on their extensive outreach through door-knocking, surveys, focus groups, community meetings, and other methods. Neighborhood organizations took the time and effort to make sure they were including as many as possible. Neighborhood organizations knew that it was precisely because so much was at stake, it was important to reach all stakeholders.

None of the current NCR staff were involved in NRP planning, and are not aware (and apparently don’t care) about this important history.

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