Institute for Women’s Policy Research

Policy Research Servicesiwpr.org

IWPR is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) think tank founded in 1987 in Washington, D.C. that produces women-focused policy research on gender equity for federal and state policymakers, advocates, media, and business leaders across all 50 states and DC.

Company typePrivate
Founded1987
HeadquartersWashington, United States
Headcount51–100
GTM typeB2B
OfferingServices

What Institute for Women’s Policy Research does

The Institute for Women's Policy Research (IWPR) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit 501(c)(3) think tank founded in 1987 in Washington, D.C. by feminist economist Dr. Heidi Hartmann. IWPR produces evidence-based, women-focused policy research on gender equity and the structural barriers at the intersection of racism and gender, serving federal and state policymakers, advocates, journalists, business leaders, and student-parent populations across all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

IWPR's core deliverables are research publications rather than technology products; its underlying methodology combines social science research, macroeconomic analysis using federal datasets such as the Current Population Survey and American Community Survey, and statistical modeling. Its product suite includes the State Policy Action Lab (an interactive digital platform with 100+ state-level gender equity indicators and legislative tracking), the Connect for Success reproductive health initiative for community college students, the Advancing Black Women in Leadership initiative, and a publications library of more than 2,124 reports, briefs, fact sheets, and quick figures. Distribution occurs through the iwpr.org website, the State PAL platform, the annual Power+ Summit conference, direct Congressional testimony and policy briefings, media engagement, and a multi-channel social and email presence.

IWPR's business model is nonprofit grant and donation funded rather than commercial. Revenue streams include foundation grants (notably a significant 2024 grant from Melinda French Gates and ongoing support from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, whose representative Paula Sammons chairs the IWPR Board), federal and state government grants and contracts, individual donations through the IWPR website, and organizational contributions. Its outputs are provided free of charge to maximize policy impact. Headquarters are in Washington, D.C., operating as a hybrid workplace with mandatory in-office Wednesdays.

Institute for Women’s Policy Research firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Institute for Women’s Policy Research
Legal name: Institute for Women's Policy Research
Website: https://iwpr.org
Company type: Private
Founded year: 1987
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 51–100 employees
Short description: IWPR is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) think tank founded in 1987 in Washington, D.C. that produces women-focused policy research on gender equity for federal and state policymakers, advocates, media, and business leaders across all 50 states and DC.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Institute for Women’s Policy Research industry classification

Industry

Product category: Policy Research Services
NAICS: Human Rights Organizations (813311), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)
SIC: Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
akta.pro primary industry: Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment (BPAGABAF)
akta.pro secondary industries: Gender Equality & Women’s Rights (BPADAGAF), Workforce Data, Labor Market Intelligence (LMI) & Program Evaluation (EDAAAOAN), Sexual & Reproductive Health & Family Planning (SRH/FP) Programs (BPADAIAD)

Keywords

Gender equity research
Policy research services
Wage gap analysis
Economic policy think tank
Women's policy research

Where Institute for Women’s Policy Research is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Washington
HQ country: United States
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Institute for Women’s Policy Research business model

Business model

GTM type: B2B
Offering type: Services
Cost components: Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

Foundation Grants: IWPR receives significant funding from private foundations including the W.K. Kellogg Foundation (board member Paula Sammons is from this foundation). Grants support core research operations and specific initiatives.
Government Grants and Contracts: Federal and state government grants and contracts fund specific research projects and policy analysis work.
Individual Donations: IWPR accepts donations from individuals through its website donation platform, with various giving options including partnership opportunities.
Organizational Contributions: Organizations contribute to support IWPR's research mission and policy advocacy work.
Philanthropic Grants: IWPR received a significant grant from philanthropist Melinda French Gates to support research on women's economic equity and health, part of broader efforts to promote women's empowerment globally.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Institute for Women’s Policy Research product offering

Product offering

Core offering

IWPR is a nonprofit research think tank that produces evidence-based, women-focused policy research and analysis on gender equity, including the gender wage gap, employment discrimination, caregiving, reproductive health economics, and education access. It disseminates findings through research publications, the State Policy Action Lab interactive data platform, and direct policy engagement with federal and state lawmakers.

Product overview

The Institute for Women's Policy Research is a nonprofit think tank that produces evidence-based research and policy analysis rather than a traditional software product. Its offerings consist of research initiatives (State Policy Action Lab, Connect for Success, Advancing Black Women in Leadership), an annual conference (Power+ Summit), and publications (reports, briefs, fact sheets, quick figures) addressing gender equity in employment, wages, caregiving, reproductive justice, and education. These products work together to advance policy solutions for women's economic equity.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

State Policy Action Lab (State PAL): An interactive tool that brings together more than 100 gender equity data indicators, timely state-level legislative tracking, and actionable state policy recommendations in one dynamic, digital platform.
Connect for Success
Advancing Black Women in Leadership (ABWIL)
Power+ Summit

Products and services

State Policy Action Lab (State PAL) An interactive digital tool that brings together more than 100 gender equity data indicators, timely state-level legislative tracking, and actionable state policy recommendations in one dynamic online platform for policymakers, advocates, and researchers.
Connect for Success A national research and learning initiative that studies and expands sustainable models for delivering sexual and reproductive health care to community college students, partnering with and funding organizations providing care to underserved students.
Advancing Black Women in Leadership (ABWIL) An initiative that confronts systemic barriers and fills a critical research gap on Black women's leadership, transforming research into action through data, narrative strategy, and advocacy.
Power+ Summit IWPR's flagship national conference that brings together researchers, advocates, and changemakers to explore forces shaping the future of work, economic mobility, and equity.
Research Publications IWPR produces research publications including Reports, Briefs, Fact Sheets, and Quick Figures covering topics such as gender wage gap, caregiving, reproductive justice, education, and workplace equity — freely accessible to policymakers, advocates, media, and the public.

Quantifiable outcome

Research contributed to passage of Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), now cornerstone of US employment policy
+4 more outcomes

Companies that use Institute for Women’s Policy Research

Customer profile

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Institute for Women’s Policy Research technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Institute for Women’s Policy Research partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core, notable and supporting.

The Maven CollectivecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Maven Collective is a partner in IWPR's Advancing Black Women in Leadership (ABWIL) initiative. ABWIL confronts systemic barriers and fills critical research gaps on Black women's leadership through data, narrative strategy, and advocacy.
Women's Foundation of ColoradonotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerIWPR partnered with the Women's Foundation of Colorado to produce new data showing older women in Colorado had only 65% of the retirement savings and 69% of the Social Security benefits compared with men.
IUPAT District Council 51supportingOthersIWPR recognizes the staff bargaining unit affiliated with IUPAT District Council 51, indicating an organized labor relationship for staff representation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Institute for Women’s Policy Research competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Center for American Progress: Large progressive think tank producing policy research on economy, education, and gender, including the Women's Initiative. Overlapping research themes and Congressional-facing delivery mechanism.
National Women's Law Center: Federal policy and legal advocacy organization for women's rights, operating in the same Washington, DC ecosystem and producing data-driven research on pay equity, caregiving, and reproductive rights — closely aligned with IWPR's priorities.
National Partnership for Women & Families: Leading U.S. policy advocacy organization focused on women's equity in employment, paid leave, and health care. Highly comparable mission and policy channel overlap with IWPR; IWPR's board includes NPWF's president.
Economic Policy Institute: Think tank producing economic policy research, including significant work on wages, race, and gender disparities. Directly comparable data-driven, equity-focused economic research methodology.
Guttmacher Institute: Research and policy organization focused on reproductive health, rights, and justice. Directly comparable to IWPR's reproductive justice and health equity priority area and policy engagement model.
Ms. Foundation for Women: Women's foundation funding research, advocacy, and movement-building for gender equity. Comparable funder-grantee ecosystem and overlapping intersectional equity priorities.
American Association of University Women (AAUW): National nonprofit advancing equity for women through research (e.g., The Simple Truth about the Gender Pay Gap), advocacy, and education — closely paralleling IWPR's research and policy mission.

Broad incumbents

RAND Corporation: Major policy research institution producing work on women in the workforce, caregiving, and health equity. Much larger scale and broader mandate, but directly comparable research methods.
Urban Institute: Larger, established social and economic policy research organization. Overlaps with IWPR's data-driven approach to gender and economic policy but operates with significantly broader scope and scale.
Brookings Institution: Premier generalist policy research institution that regularly publishes on gender, labor, and economic policy. Broader portfolio but similar delivery into federal policymaking and media.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Institute for Women’s Policy Research financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Institute for Women’s Policy Research leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Institute for Women’s Policy Research funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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

Institute for Women’s Policy Research M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Institute for Women’s Policy Research

What does Institute for Women’s Policy Research do?

Is Institute for Women’s Policy Research a public or private company?

Institute for Women’s Policy Research is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Institute for Women’s Policy Research founded?

Institute for Women’s Policy Research was founded in 1987. It employs 51 to 100 people.

Where is Institute for Women’s Policy Research based?

Institute for Women’s Policy Research is headquartered in Washington, United States, in the North America region.

How does Institute for Women’s Policy Research make money?

Five revenue lines are on record. Foundation Grants are the primary driver. The others are government Grants and Contracts, individual Donations, organizational Contributions and philanthropic Grants.

Who are Institute for Women’s Policy Research's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Center for American Progress, National Women's Law Center, National Partnership for Women & Families, Economic Policy Institute, Guttmacher Institute, Ms. Foundation for Women and American Association of University Women (AAUW). Broad incumbents are RAND Corporation, Urban Institute and Brookings Institution.

Does Institute for Women’s Policy Research have an API?

No public API is recorded for Institute for Women’s Policy Research.

What industry is Institute for Women’s Policy Research in?

Institute for Women’s Policy Research's product category is Policy Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGABAF, Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment, with a secondary code of BPADAGAF, Gender Equality & Women’s Rights. Its NAICS code is 813311 and its SIC code is 8600.