Multicultural Development Center of Iowa

Dream It. Learn It. Make It.

aka MDC Iowa   |   Iowa City, IA   |  https://www.mdciowa.org

Mission

Multicultural Development Center of Iowa (MDC Iowa) was founded as a community-based resource center to support the underrepresented and underserved communities of Eastern Iowa. The mission of MDC Iowa is to provide the community with access to tools, training, mentors, and support through four main initiatives: • Logic Learning • Intercultural Community Development • Underrepresented Students of the Corridor (USoC) scholarship • Black in Business Incubator

Ruling year info

2020

Founder and Executive Director

Mr. Tracy Jon Sargeant

Main address

136 S Dubuque St.

Iowa City, IA 52240 USA

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EIN

84-3464327

NTEE code info

Human Services - Multipurpose and Other N.E.C. (P99)

IRS filing requirement

This organization is required to file an IRS Form 990 or 990-EZ.

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Communication

Blog

Programs and results

What we aim to solve

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

The digital divide is defined as the gap between those who have access to information and technology and those that do not. Restricted access due to economic, educational, linguistic, and/or generational reasons disproportionately affects people of color. The pandemic and social-distancing have required that we modify our delivery method to include an online platform for training classes due to the closing of the public locations like the Iowa City Public Library. This disproportionately affects those with a low-socioeconomic status (SES).

Our programs

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?

Logic Learning

When a community does not have access to technology and the Internet, they fall behind communities that do. Access to technology and technical skills improves social and cultural capital and allows one to achieve mass economic gains in productivity. School kids without access and technical knowledge are more likely to be unable to complete their homework and as a result, suffer from lower grades. Young adults and up are also affected because it affects an individual’s ability to apply for jobs and restricts their access to information.

This is called the digital divide which is defined as, “the gap between those who have access to modern information and communications technology and those that do not or have restricted access due to economic, educational, linguistic, and or generational reasons”. There is also a second level of the digital divide that even those with access exist in. Within this level, there is a divide between producers of Internet content and consumers. This divide exists due to educational disadvantages and lack of free time required to make content.

In order to bridge the Digital Divide, we must go beyond ensuring people have access to the proper resources by improving technological literacy and skills. This can be achieved through increased engagement in content creation, increasing the number of technically trained individuals, changing the attitude around technology, and empowering individuals to get involved in STEM.

Logic Learning is a community program designed to help fight this issue that overwhelmingly affects communities of color. This program is accessible to individuals living in Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, Cedar Rapids, and surrounding areas and is primarily focused on those who identify as a person of color. MDC Iowa does not discriminate and believes that we cannot achieve real change without fully embracing inclusivity. We welcome all, regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental disabilities, or any other marginalized status.

Population(s) Served
Ethnic and racial groups
Economically disadvantaged people

Where we work

Videos

Our Sustainable Development Goals

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.

Goals & Strategy

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.

Charting impact

Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.

The digital divide, lack of representation in public educators, lack of diversity in STEM, defunding of pipeline programs for people of color are all factors that limit BIPOC from accessing STEM-related degrees and careers.

To address these problems MDC Iowa provides free resources including STEM training throughout the year with a focus on supporting black, indigenous, people of color (BIPOC). The goal is to increase the exposure, frequency, and interest in STEM within these communities. Our weekly Featured Friday interviews showcase BIPOC in STEM which provides representation and addresses the issue that young students of color cannot be what they cannot see.

Through public and private partnerships MDC Iowa delivers both in-person and online classes to underrepresented people in Iowa. In addition to delivering hands-on project-based classes, all participants are paired with mentors that provide guidance, encouragement and share their lived experiences as people of color in STEM that serves as motivation and a potential blueprint for BIPOC students. Through our growing network of community partnerships with organizations like Imagine for Youth, Habitat for Humanity, Iowa City Bike Library, 4-H, Young Parents Network, 5th Ward Saints, and others, we can scale our outreach efforts without significantly increasing the cost to deliver services. We maintain low operating expenses through volunteers and interns, leveraging public libraries for class locations, and manufacture many of our components using some of the same skills and techniques that we teach to our students that range in age from 10 to 99.

MDC Iowa has a robust catalog of training content as well as volunteers, teachers, and mentors that identify as black, indigenous, or people of color. With a growing number of STEM professionals, MDC Iowa is able to provide relevant and valuable resources and learning experiences to young students as well as adult learners.

Since its inception, MDC Iowa has served more than 1,500 young student and adult learners. Initially focused on technology classes only, MDC Iowa now offers courses across the four disciplines of STEM. Thanks to the member advisory board, MDC Iowa is able to stay current with teaching and learning methods, industry trends, and relevant degree and career skills that can be translated to new and improved courses.

How we listen

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.

done We demonstrated a willingness to learn more by reviewing resources about feedback practice.
done We shared information about our current feedback practices.

  • How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?

    To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals

  • Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?

    We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded

  • What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?

    The people we serve tell us they find data collection burdensome, It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection

Financials

Multicultural Development Center of Iowa
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Operations

The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.

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Connect with nonprofit leaders

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Build relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.

  • Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
  • Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
  • Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations

Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.

Multicultural Development Center of Iowa

Board of directors
as of 08/03/2022
SOURCE: Self-reported by organization
Board chair

Mr. Tracy Jon Sargeant

Matt Butler

Breckin Sargeant

Felix Anaman

Rocco Cuffari

Board leadership practices

SOURCE: Self-reported by organization

GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.

  • Board orientation and education
    Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes
  • CEO oversight
    Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes
  • Ethics and transparency
    Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes
  • Board composition
    Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes
  • Board performance
    Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes

Organizational demographics

SOURCE: Self-reported; last updated 9/4/2020
info Candid has made improvements to the race and ethnicity options.

Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.

Leadership

The organization's leader identifies as:

Race & ethnicity
Black/African American
Gender identity
Male, Not transgender
Sexual orientation
Heterosexual or Straight
Disability status
Person without a disability

Race & ethnicity

Gender identity

Transgender Identity

Sexual orientation

Disability

We do not display disability information for organizations with fewer than 15 staff.

Equity strategies

Last updated: 09/04/2020

GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more

Data
  • We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
  • We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
  • We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
  • We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
  • We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
  • We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
  • We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
Policies and processes
  • We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
  • We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
  • We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
  • We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
  • We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
  • We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
  • We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.