Summit-University Planning Council

What Summit-University Planning Council does

Summit-University Planning Council (SUPC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization founded in 1974 that serves as the officially designated District 8 Council for the Summit-University neighborhood of Saint Paul, Minnesota. Headquartered at 375 Selby Ave, the organization is governed by an all-volunteer board of directors composed of neighborhood residents and partner-organization representatives, supported by a single paid Executive Director (Jens Werner). Its core function is to serve as the formal conduit between District 8 residents and the City of Saint Paul on zoning, planning, and neighborhood-policy matters, while also providing a forum for residents to address safety, housing affordability, transportation, and economic development concerns.

SUPC has no proprietary technology platform. Its operating model relies on a hybrid monthly community meeting (held the second Tuesday at MLK Rec Center with Zoom and phone-in access), annual board elections, and recurring community events such as Rondo Days, the Community Peace Celebration, National Night Out, and neighborhood cleanups. Communications run through the organization's website, the Porchlite email newsletter, Facebook, and Instagram. The organization is donation-funded and does not sell products or services; revenue depends on charitable contributions collected via the GiveMN platform.

The organization's competitive position rests on its chartered role as the District 8 Council and on five decades of embedded relationships with the City of Saint Paul, the Rondo Community Land Trust, 825 Arts, Hallie Q. Brown Community Center, Walker West Music Academy, the YWCA, the Neighborhood Development Center, and Rondo Avenue Inc. Board interlocks — notably Felicia Perry's dual role as SUPC Board Chair and Rondo CLT Economic Development Manager — reinforce these ties. The customer base is, in effect, a single constituency: the residents and small businesses of District 8, with no stated geographic or vertical expansion plans beyond that boundary.

Name

Summit-University Planning Council

Legal name

Summit-University Planning Council

Website

https://summit-university.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SUPC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving as the official District 8 Council for the Summit-University neighborhood in Saint Paul, Minnesota, providing community engagement, planning input, and advocacy for residents since 1974.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Development Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Association & Society Conference Management (Nonprofit, Professional Bodies) (THAHACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Center Education Programs (EDAAAFAB)

Keywords

• Community planning
• Neighborhood engagement
• District council services
• Community development
• Civic participation

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint Paul

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization accepts charitable donations as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Donations enable the organization to provide services to the community.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Summit-University Planning Council is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community organization that serves residents and stakeholders of the Summit-University neighborhood (District 8) in Saint Paul, Minnesota. It facilitates neighborhood engagement, distributes information resources, and coordinates community participation in local planning and civic matters. Operations are led by an all-volunteer board of directors supported by a single Executive Director.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Neighborhood Engagement Programs Programs and initiatives that connect District 8 residents with local civic and planning activities in the Summit-University neighborhood of Saint Paul.

Quantifiable outcome

• Monthly community meetings engaging residents on district issues
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Rondo Community Land TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive partnership with Rondo Community Land Trust, represented on SUPC board. Joint initiatives include Rondo Exchange small business incubator project and affordable housing advocacy. Felicia Perry serves as both SUPC Board Chair and Rondo CLT Economic Development Manager.
• 825 ArtscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal arts organization at 825 University Ave W. Co-hosts community events including block parties, Frogtown Arts Festival, and intergenerational programming. Mercedes Yarbrough serves as SUPC board member and is associated with 825 Arts.
• Hallie Q. Brown Community CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor community partner hosting monthly SUPC meetings at MLK Rec Center. Collaborates on community forums, Rondo Days events, and neighborhood initiatives.
• Walker West Music AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMusic education institution at 650 Marshall Ave. Hosts community events including JazzFest and music education programs in partnership with neighborhood organizations.
• City of Saint PaulcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerOfficial role as District 8 Council advising the City on zoning and planning matters. Coordinates with Mayor's office, City Council Ward 1 representative, and city departments on neighborhood issues.
• Rondo Avenue Inc.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts annual Rondo Days celebration, established 1982. SUPC promotes and collaborates on this major community event celebrating Rondo neighborhood heritage.
• YWCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity organization collaborating on neighborhood initiatives including community forums with Mayor Her.
• Neighborhood Development CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity development organization. Site of Ward 1 leaders community tour meeting with Mayor Her.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Greater Frogtown Community Development: Community development nonprofit serving the Frogtown area of Saint Paul, focused on housing, economic development, and resident engagement. Closely comparable mission and volunteer-driven governance model.
• Rondo Community Land Trust: Saint Paul–based community land trust focused on affordable housing and equitable development in the historic Rondo neighborhood. Core strategic partner of SUPC with overlapping board representation (Felicia Perry serves in both organizations).
• Neighborhood Development Center: Saint Paul–based community development nonprofit supporting small business and neighborhood revitalization, and a documented SUPC partner. Operates citywide but is closely comparable in mission and constituency.
• Hamline-Midway Coalition: Saint Paul neighborhood council representing District 11, providing community engagement, planning input, and resident advocacy. Functions as the District 11 counterpart to SUPC's District 8 role.
• Hallie Q. Brown Community Center: Saint Paul community center serving the Rondo/Summit-University area, hosting SUPC's monthly meetings and co-organizing community events. Comparable mission of community programming and neighborhood uplift.
• Dayton's Bluff District Council: A neighboring Saint Paul district council organized as a 501(c)(3) to provide neighborhood planning, advocacy, and community events for District 5. Operates on the same volunteer-board, official-district-council model as SUPC.

Regional players

• Longfellow Community Council: Minneapolis neighborhood council providing community engagement, planning, and events in the Longfellow area. Comparable nonprofit neighborhood-council model across the Twin Cities metro.
• Northeast Neighborhoods Inc. (Minneapolis): Minneapolis-based neighborhood organization providing community planning and resident engagement services in northeast Minneapolis. Similar organizational structure and mission, but serves a different metro jurisdiction.

Broad incumbents

• National Association of Neighborhoods: National umbrella organization supporting neighborhood-level civic groups across the U.S. Useful as a thematic peer for SUPC's neighborhood council model at a national scale.

Emerging players

• Saint Paul Promise Neighborhood: Saint Paul place-based initiative focused on cradle-to-career outcomes in the Summit-University/Rondo area. Operates in overlapping geography with a more program-specific (education-focused) mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SummitU
• Instagraminstagram.com/summituniversity
• Xx.com/supcdistrict8
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/summit-university-planning-council

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Summit-University Planning Council