While Minnesota and Olmsted County consistently report high voter turnout, some parts of our community still face barriers to full participation in civic engagement beyond just casting a vote. United Way of Olmsted County knows communities hold the solutions to the problems they face. As such, culturally specific organizations play a critical role in building power for their communities to participate in civic life. These organizations are ideally situated to understand the cultural norms, beliefs, and traditions of the people they serve; effectively engage community members; interpret and remove barriers that impede access to services; and bridge norms between communities and institutions.
United Way of Olmsted County’s Civic Engagement RFP is designed to build the capacity of Olmsted County’s cultural communities to advocate for self-determined solutions to the challenges they face by supporting civic engagement, providing education on roles and responsibilities of elected officials, and facilitating stronger connections between communities and local government.
We are issuing this Request for Proposals to establish partnerships and offer financial support for civic engagement activities. We will prioritize proposals from agencies serving and led by Black, Indigenous, people of color, and immigrant/refugee communities. Proposals from other communities disproportionately impacted by barriers to civic engagement are also eligible to apply.