You'll need to understand your community well-enough to answer these questions:

• Who will be served and affected by this project?
• What are the demographics of the community? 
• What is it like to be a member of the community?
• What types of services or support does the community need? 
• Are there existing strengths that I should consider?
• Why are certain services or support effective with my community?

Research can help you find answers and support claims with evidence, through:

• Statistics and Data: Including demographic data; local, county, and state statistics; data about specific populations, such as people involved with the criminal justice system or people affected by a virus. How is who affected?
• Published Research: Including scientific studies, sociological research, education research, and more. These studies can show "best practices" for activities.

Why Research?

Imagine you are reading a proposal, and it states: "We will hire bilingual counselors who reflect student demographics to host health awareness workshops at L.A. schools, which will improve our ability to engage and provide culturally responsive services."  To make this statement more compelling, the writer can incorporate demographic data (e.g., 72% XYZ city households speak more than one language) and published research (e.g., one study study shows speaking a language in common with students' families and cultures increases engagement and trust).