Community Assessments Simplified
From Leighann Sibal, Heart of Des Moines member and senior consultant with DBD Group
When I talk with nonprofits in the Des Moines area, one question I often hear is: “How do we know what our community truly needs?” It’s a crucial question and the answer is the foundation for the support we provide nonprofit organizations at DBD Group — from feasibility studies and capital campaigns to long-term fundraising strategy.
I’ve spent decades leading community needs assessments, which is a critical process for nonprofits that want to allocate resources strategically, win funding, and build trust in the communities they serve.
Why Community Needs Assessment Matters for Nonprofits
A needs assessment helps a nonprofit:
Allocate limited resources more effectively by directing them to programs that address the most pressing issues that matter to the community.
Design more effective programs that build on existing community strengths and resources, and avoid redundancy.
Demonstrate to funders (foundations, government, individual donors) that your proposed projects are grounded in real community data.
Build community trust and legitimacy by involving voices that often go unheard.
Strengthen sustainability: you’re more flexible when you know evolving trends and which programs to scale or sunset in order to stay relevant.
In today’s environment, trust building is more important than ever. Communities demand transparency, responsiveness, and humility from outside partners. The old “tell them what’s wrong then tell them what we’ll do” model doesn’t hold water anymore.
Four Proven Methods to Gather Community Input
Here’s how I help clients collect information that’s both rich and credible:
Research & Trend Reports
Review existing data — census, health metrics, regional plans, funder studies — to spot intersections and emerging issues.Interviews, Focus Groups & Community Forums
One-on-one conversations or small-group discussions let you dig deeper into lived experiences.Online Surveys
Great for reaching more people, including those unable to attend an in-person event.Asset Mapping
Rather than just listing deficits, identify community strengths — organizations, relationships, physical infrastructure — and see how your nonprofit can plug into where energy already exists.
You’ll want to involve the key stakeholder groups that are unique to your organization: program participants, staff, board members, volunteers, local leaders, partner agencies, etc.
Sample Tools We Use
A question bank (e.g. 20-30 vetted questions) from which clients pick for their interviews, surveys or focus groups. Customization is always available based on the needs of the client.
Detailed timeline and project management tools that keep everyone on track.
A card sort exercise: Used typically during the Community Leader Forum, small groups receive cards with labels of ~36 critical social issues (housing, food security, mental health, childcare, etc.) and then group or rank issues that feel most pressing in their neighborhood. Then we ask: Which of these is your organization positioned to address?
I spend time preparing clients to do the interviewing: training facilitators, refining question phrasing, reviewing logistics and consent, and offering tips on guiding discussion without biasing responses.
Deliverables that Matter
After data collection and analysis, I deliver:
An executive summary that highlights key findings in accessible form that includes a summary of what we learned and the most promising intersections and an outline of next steps.
A public-facing version (or community report) that closes the loop — i.e. “Here’s what we heard, here’s what we learned, here’s what we propose to do next”
Guiding You Through the Process
My role as a consultant is not just “give you answers,” but to walk alongside you as you interpret results, wrestle with trade-offs, and make strategic choices.
I always ask clients: “Is there anything I need to do more, better, or differently to get you what you need?” That feedback loop ensures we’re aligned.
If your nonprofit in Des Moines (or anywhere) needs a rigorous, trust-building, results-oriented community needs assessment — or a feasibility study for a capital campaign or fundraising plan — I’d love to talk. Let me help you ground your vision in data and community voices.
