Research Services for Philanthropy and Communities
Our research begins where communities, foundations, donors, and nonprofits intersect.
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The Johnson Center team is deeply experienced and passionate about helping you use research to make data- and equity-informed decisions. Services include:

  • Applied research projects that bridge the gap between scholarship and practice
  • Original and secondary data collection, analysis, and interpretation
  • Field scans to determine key players, programs, and geographies
  • Literature reviews to inform program design

Our clients have access to a variety of resources to enhance their projects, including software to track grant outcomes, tools to visualize community and program data, and peer-reviewed publications like The Foundation Review.

Research Clients
Invite in the City: Learning From Audience Data at the Grand Rapids Art Museum
Invite in the City: Learning From Audience Data at the Grand Rapids Art Museum
The Grand Rapids Art Museum partnered with the Johnson Center for a research study to help them better understand, engage, and serve the community.
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We hold 30 years of data on nonprofits nationwide.

The Johnson Center is home to the nation’s largest database of longitudinal data on nonprofits in the country. Drawing from a variety of sources, including the most recently available IRS 990s, we use this wealth of data to help assess opportunities and potential risks to nonprofits in communities, regions, and states, and to offer comparative analysis of different geographies. Contact us to learn more about how we can put this data to work for you.
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The ‘Economic Inclusion in Grand Rapids Data Update’ is greatly aligned to the City of Grand Rapid’s strategic plan, adopted in April 2019. The very first objective in that plan is to embed equity throughout government operations, and a key part of that work is to disaggregate all data to the furthest extent possible. The Johnson Center’s research will be our baseline to measure progress and change.”

Stacy Stout

Director of the Office of Equity & Engagement, City of Grand Rapids

Stacy Stout

Director of the Office of Equity & Engagement, City of Grand Rapids
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Understanding the needs of the entire community through data-driven research is critical to our efforts toward diversifying and growing our audiences. The Johnson Center’s research assistance made that possible for us.”

Brad Ter Haar

Foundation Relations Manager, Grand Rapids Art Museum

Brad Ter Haar

Foundation Relations Manager, Grand Rapids Art Museum