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Wilder Research Services

Research and evaluation services that turn information into impact

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We work with mission-driven individuals and organizations who want to get better. To improve. To understand. To change.

We help nonprofits, government agencies, foundations, academic institutions, community leaders, policymakers, and community researchers and evaluators to measure and improve effectiveness, identify needs and solutions, and make data-informed decisions to improve the lives of their employees, the individuals and families they support, the communities in which they work and live.

We tailor our services to meet your needs, whether providing everything to develop and conduct an evaluation or just one component of a project, such as collecting data or creating communications materials to share what you learned.

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Our experienced researchers, data collection and analysis experts, librarians, and strategic communications specialists offer a full range of services.

As a community-focused organization, we are collaborative and flexible. We'll help you understand the people and communities you support, what’s working and what’s not, and areas for improvement. We live our values every day – listening with intent, acting with kindness, building trusting relationships, and taking action – as we partner with you to gather the information you need to make meaningful change.

Discuss your next project

Research and evaluation

Our researchers will work with you to design and implement evaluation projects that get you the information you need to accomplish goals, show impact and make data-informed decisions.

We use a wide variety of methods, from interviews, focus groups and surveys to ripple-effects mapping, arts-based approaches, economic analysis, and mapping. Services include consultation, technical assistance, trend studies and opinion surveys, and program, process, outcome and developmental evaluations.

Our reports are customized with visualized data to make it easy to understand and use the results, and meet your needs.

Community engagement and needs assessment

We’ll partner with you to engage the communities you support to better understand their experiences, needs, and issues impacting their lives.

Our assessments can help identify service gaps, and strengths, opportunities, and aspirations of a specific cultural group, age group or geographic community to build understanding and effective solutions.

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Data collection and analysis

Let us gather the data you need in a way that works for you and the people you support. Services include web, mailed, telephone, and intercept surveys; focus groups, discussions or talking circles; observations, assessments, and environmental scans; and fun facilitated activities to gather data. We use culturally responsive approaches and offer multi-lingual interviews.

Our analysts will help you make sense of your data. We provide useful and reliable insights that will help your organization understand what’s happening and make data-informed decisions. Analysis services include primary and secondary data, data cleanup, large data set integration, basic descriptive and more complex statistical analysis.

Data-informed strategic planning and decision-making

Our thoughtfully designed and facilitated activities will help you and your organization learn data best practices and how to use data when making important decisions about programs, staffing, organizational structure, strategic priorities, goals, and policies.

Services include data-informed strategic planning, data parties, and theory of change and logic model development with identified goals and outcomes for your program or organization.

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Strategic communications

Our communications and graphic design specialists can work with you to develop strategic communications plans and products tailored to your audiences and communities.

We use plain language, graphics, and visualized data to create easy-to-understand research findings and recommendations that help you use the data and communicate with your stakeholders.

Options include reports, summaries, infographics, presentations, issue briefs, media releases and events.

Workshops, training, and consultation

Our workshops, training, consultation and coaching will help you increase your organization’s capacity to design and carry out evaluation, and collect, interpret, and understand the data to obtain the insights you need.

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Can I hire Wilder to do just one component of a project?

Yes. Our staff includes experts in research design, data collection (surveys, focus groups, and interviews), data entry, data analysis, literature searches, and communications (reports, summaries, infographics). We also offer coaching and training on how to use existing data to make better decisions.

Do you work on small/really large projects?

We work on all sizes of projects, from providing a few hours of consultation to multi-year, multi-component research projects. Get an idea of the range of our projects by looking at our Research Library or some of our featured projects.

Can you help us with a grant proposal?

Yes, we can help you develop a proposal. We most often assist with or write the evaluation section.

Can you teach our organization how to conduct an evaluation ourselves?

Yes, we can work with you to develop your internal capacity so that you can design and carry out your own evaluation. We offer evaluation trainings and technical assistance customized to meet your organization’s needs.

How much do your services cost?

We offer a menu of service options tailored to your research needs and budget. Project costs vary depending upon the complexity of the project.

What if I want to do a research study but I don't have funding?

We can work with you to determine the scope and potential cost of your project, and suggest possible funding sources. Wilder Research and the Wilder Foundation typically do not fund research projects.

Do you work with organizations outside of Saint Paul?

Yes, we work with clients across Minnesota, the United States, and other countries.

I need help with a project immediately. Is that possible?

We try to accommodate project needs as we are able. Let us know your timeline and we can see if we have available staff.

Wilder Research helped us wade through the world of data so we have a clear path to real results. With Wilder at our side, the Northside community will one day share in the prosperity of our state and region.

SONDRA SAMUELS, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, NORTHSIDE ACHIEVEMENT ZONE

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Wilder Research Services

Research and evaluation services that turn information into impact

We work with mission-driven individuals and organizations who want to get better. To improve. To understand. To change.

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Working with Wilder Research

Our experienced researchers, data collection and analysis experts, librarians, and strategic communications specialists offer a full range of services.