How Youthprise increased stakeholder trust and credibility with a Lumaris survey
Three months before the legislative session, Youthprise faced a challenge: How do you prove statewide support for a policy in a way that resonates with legislators?
Three months before the Minnesota legislative session, Youthprise faced a challenge: How do you prove statewide support for a policy in a way that resonates with legislators?
The non-profit used the Minnesota Community Survey to show lawmakers the potential benefits of the MinneKids Act, which would establish college savings accounts for every baby born in Minnesota.
“The results from the Minnesota Community Survey were invaluable,” said Erin Martin, Policy & System Transformation Programs Director for Youthprise.
“The detailed data and clear presentation in the report gave us the confidence and evidence we needed to communicate the potential of MinneKIDS to legislators effectively. We could clearly show the widespread interest across the state and address potential questions about who would utilize and support the program.”
Though the bill didn’t pass this year, the conversations laid the groundwork for future action. They also had data points that can be referenced in the future.
The Challenge
Prove statewide support for MinneKIDS Act before 2025 legislative session
The Timeline
Months, not years
The Results
• 58% of Minnesota adults support state-funded college savings accounts
• 1,477 statistically representative responses
• Majority support in both the Twin Cities (61%) and
Greater Minnesota (56%)
• 16-page report with methodology to earn trust of legislators
How surveys helped Youthprise achieve its goals
Youthprise had recently engaged with Melody Johnson from Praxis 360 Consulting to develop and field a survey of Hennepin County residents about CSAs. Johnson recruited people at libraries, parks and other community events for this survey. The results were promising – a majority of respondents liked the idea of a 529 college savings program.
As Youthprise prepared to brief Minnesota legislators on the results from the MinneKIDS grants, they decided a high-quality statewide survey would maximize the impact of their conversations during the 2025 legislative session.
With just months before the legislative session, Youthprise needed credible statewide data quickly. They chose Lumaris Research's Minnesota Community Survey because it could deliver reliable insights on Minnesota's diverse communities, from Greater Minnesota to the Twin Cities.
Reliable insights across Minnesota’s diverse communities in a matter of weeks
The MCS fit Youthprise’s needs because the survey panel could deliver reliable insights on a broad cross-section of Minnesotans by their geographic location, education, income, race and ethnicity, political party and more.
Youthprise wanted to understand how Minnesotans of different backgrounds felt about MinneKIDS. They also sought to gather concrete data that demonstrated the potential impact and broad appeal of the MinneKIDS Act, said Martin, the Youthprise program director.
“We needed to move beyond the promising initial feedback from smaller, local CSA programs and community groups, and get statistically significant insights into who benefits from a CSA, who supports it, and ultimately, strengthen our case for the bill at the legislature,” Martin said.
Youthprise had recently awarded MinneKIDS grants, which funded the creation of Children’s Savings Accounts (CSA) in three communities. (The community design work was funded through a one-time legislative appropriation in 2023.)
Using a model similar to College Bound St. Paul, the new CSAs in Rice County, Hennepin County and Central Minnesota were designed to fund a child’s future college education, career training or other pathways to success.
The community-driven process that created the CSAs informed Youthprise’s strategy to roll out statewide access through the proposed MinneKIDS Act. (Similar programs in other states are sometimes called 529 college savings plans.)
Delivering data that earns trust from policymakers
Youthprise received results from a statistically reliable 15-question survey of 1,477 Minnesota adults, along with a 16-page report of key findings.
A detailed methodology confirmed the survey represented all Minnesotans - from rural communities to urban centers, across income levels and racial backgrounds.
Overall, 58% of Minnesota adults favored creating a state-funded college savings program, including majorities in both the Twin Cities (61%) and Greater Minnesota (56%).
With credible statewide data in hand, Youthprise created a handout (read below), which proved instrumental to its conversations with legislators and advocates at the Capitol during the 2025 Minnesota legislative session.
Delivering data that earns trust from policymakers
Youthprise received results from a statistically reliable 15-question survey of 1,477 Minnesota adults, along with a 16-page report of key findings.
A detailed methodology confirmed the survey represented all Minnesotans - from rural communities to urban centers, across income levels and racial backgrounds.
Overall, 58% of Minnesota adults favored creating a state-funded college savings program, including majorities in both the Twin Cities (61%) and Greater Minnesota (56%).
With credible statewide data in hand, Youthprise created a handout (read below), which proved instrumental to its conversations with legislators and advocates at the Capitol during the 2025 Minnesota legislative session.
Ready to transform how you achieve your mission?
Whether you’re preparing for a legislative session, launching a new program, or need to demonstrate community support, our Minnesota Community Survey can provide the credible data that gives your mission the advantage it deserves.
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