Community Research

Morten Group partnered with Girls Inc. to conduct an accessibility assessment examining how effectively the organization was reaching and serving girls across its programming. The assessment applied an asset-based, participatory framework to surface both existing strengths and opportunities for deeper, more equitable access.

Using a range of data collection methods, Morten Group gathered perspectives from staff, program participants, and community stakeholders to develop a grounded picture of the organization's accessibility — from physical and logistical barriers to cultural and linguistic considerations.

The findings supported Girls Inc. in identifying actionable pathways to strengthen inclusion and expand its reach to girls who have been historically underserved.

In 2018, the Steering Committee of The LGBT Community Fund retained Morten Group to conduct a needs assessment gathering data on the current strengths, assets, needs, and challenges of the Chicagoland LGBTQ community. This built on the first assessment Morten Group conducted for the Fund in 2011, enabling comparison across nearly a decade of community change.

Data collection took place over a fifteen-week field period, from October 2018 through January 2019. More than 2,000 individuals participated across three tools: an online survey, paper data cards distributed through drop boxes, and focus groups. Over 70 partner organizations and businesses helped spread the word throughout the Chicago metropolitan area.

The top five community needs identified through the online survey:

1. Basic income and living wage
2. Community safety and violence prevention
3. Discrimination based on race/ethnicity, sexual orientation, and/or gender identity
4. Health insurance and physical/mental health services
5. Employment

Across all data collection tools, seven key themes emerged — including inequities within the LGBTQ population, access to culturally responsive health care, employment equity, affordable housing, and the resilience of a participatory, intersectional community.

Morten Group, on behalf of the LGBT Community Fund of The Chicago Community Trust, conducted the Chicago LGBT Community Needs Assessment in the fall of 2011. Over an 11-week field period, more than 2,000 individuals made their voices heard through an online survey, data cards, telephone interviews, and focus groups. Data analysis, led by methodological lead Dr. Keisha Farmer-Smith, took place in the first half of 2012.

The data was released publicly on June 27, 2012, at a community presentation and press briefing at Howard Brown Health Center — one of four community presentations held through early 2013, including events at the National Museum of Mexican Art and the University of Chicago School of Social Service Administration.

As a follow-up, Morten Group also developed an Organizational Service & Capacity Assessment Tool to help The Chicago Community Trust identify LGBT-serving organizations working within the Fund's priority areas: Healthcare, Employment, Housing, Violence Prevention, Support for Accessing Practical Resources, and Behavioral Health Services.

In 2016, Morten Group concluded a two-year community engagement role in an NIH-funded study at the University of Chicago College of Medicine focused on LGBTQ people of color and their relationship to health care providers. The study explored shared decision-making (SDM) — a collaborative process that enables health care providers and patients to make informed decisions together.

The project unfolded across three phases:

1. Review — A systematic review of key issues in shared decision-making among LGBTQ people of color.
2. Research — Seeking input from diverse stakeholders including patients, clinicians, community organizations, and health care delivery systems representing LGBTQ POC communities.
3. Tool Development — Creating resources to help stakeholders implement and evaluate SDM interventions in LGBTQ POC populations.

Morten Group's role encompassed community recruitment, data collection coordination, and event management throughout the full two-year study period.