Research projects and published reports.

Case 01

Understanding opportunities in the pet industry.

Client: Companions and Animals for Reform and Equity (CARE)

A nationwide study of the pet care and animal welfare industries, their economic value, and who has access to opportunities.

What we did

1. 1Reviewed existing research and collected available data.
2. 2Planned and carried out national surveys and interviews.
3. 3Estimated economic value and compared different possible outcomes.
4. 4Helped turn the findings into a report and public presentation.

How it helped

The study gave CARE information it could use to plan programs, guide funding and help more people take part.

Case 02

Better demographic data for foundations and nonprofits.

Project partnership: Viewpoint Consulting and nonprofit partners

Our role: Research support across several Viewpoint-led engagements.

Across projects led by Viewpoint Consulting, Research Gurus supported foundations and nonprofits with demographic research—from defining what to collect and conducting surveys to assessing methods and informing future work.

What we did

1. 1Helped refine demographic definitions and review data collection methods.
2. 2Supported a national nonprofit survey and recurring foundation and grantee surveys.
3. 3Helped foundations agree on shared measures and collect baseline data.
4. 4Assessed data-improvement efforts and interest in continuing the collaboration.
5. 5Prepared findings, materials and presentations for partners.

How it helped

The work helped partners improve the information they collect and use it to make better decisions.

Case 03

Research, reporting and dashboards for animal welfare.

Client: Maddie's Fund

Across separate projects for Maddie’s Fund, we supported foster care surveys, research with dog behavior professionals, a dog bite assessment dashboard and journal manuscript writing. The public foster care reports and recordings below show one part of that work.

What we did

1. 1Analyzed foster care surveys across years, prepared reports and presented findings in paid webinars.
2. 2Supported surveys and focus groups with dog behavior professionals.
3. 3Developed a separate dashboard for dog bite assessment.
4. 4Contributed journal manuscript writing for foster care and dog behavior research.

How the work was used

The public foster care reports and webinars shared findings on changes in fostering. The broader work supported separate research, reporting and data needs across Maddie’s Fund projects.

Case 04

Estimating the prevalence of child sex trafficking.

Project lead: Two Six Technologies, in collaboration with UCLA

Our role: Research support within the Two Six Technologies-led collaboration.

Research support for a study estimating the prevalence of child sex trafficking in Maharashtra, India, led by Two Six Technologies in collaboration with UCLA.

What we did

1. 1Contributed research support to the Maharashtra prevalence study.
2. 2Supported work using network scale-up and respondent-driven sampling—survey methods that use people’s social connections.

What the study provides

The published study provides prevalence estimates to inform understanding of child sex trafficking in the region.

Case 05

Using research to support strategic planning.

Organization: The Foundation for Delaware County

Our role: Survey, interview, focus group and data analysis support for an engagement led by Capacity for Change.

Survey, interview, focus group and analysis support for a Capacity for Change-led engagement informing The Foundation for Delaware County’s 2023–2026 strategic plan.

What we did

1. 1Supported surveys and interviews for the strategic planning process.
2. 2Helped with focus groups to inform the strategic planning process.
3. 3Analyzed survey data to help inform planning discussions.

How the work was used

Provided research support across surveys, interviews and focus groups, along with analysis, to inform the Foundation’s strategic planning process.

Case 06

Turning nonprofit work into a clear impact story.

Client: The Love For Animals Outreach

Our role: Impact report and brochure development using client-provided information.

An annual impact report and brochure to help a nonprofit explain its work to funders and community partners.

What we did

1. 1Organized client-provided information into an annual impact report.
2. 2Developed a brochure to communicate the organization’s work.

Purpose of the materials

Make the organization’s work easier to understand and present in funding and partnership conversations.