What Responsive Management does

Responsive Management is a privately held survey research firm headquartered in Harrisonburg, Virginia, founded around 1990 and operating for 35+ years. The firm specializes in social science research applied to natural resource management, wildlife conservation, fisheries, and outdoor recreation topics, conducting multimodal surveys (telephone, mail, online, focus groups, personal interviews) alongside program evaluation, economic impact analyses, strategic planning research, marketing and communications testing, and organizational membership studies. Its research portfolio spans 24+ topic areas including hunting, fishing, R3 (Recruitment, Retention, Reactivation), wildlife viewing, archery, sport shooting, climate, and water resources.

The firm's core technology is its research methodology and proprietary longitudinal datasets accumulated over decades, including more than 200 hunting studies and over 300 surveys referenced in the book "Wildlife and the American Mind." It publishes thought-leadership books (The Sportsman's Voice, Watching Wildlife, R3 Handbook) and reports. Customers include every state fish and wildlife agency, federal resource agencies (USFWS, NOAA, NPS, NMFS), conservation NGOs (Ducks Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, RBFF), industry players (Winchester Ammunition, Yamaha), and academic institutions (Cornell, Yale).

The business operates as a project-based professional services firm with a consultative, direct sales motion. Clients initiate engagement through a "Request a Proposal" process on the company website; pricing is custom and not publicly disclosed. Revenue is generated through individual research contracts rather than subscription or productized offerings. In 2024, the firm was awarded a NOAA ProTech 2.0 Fisheries Domain Contract (one of 23 firms; $8B ceiling across all domains), expanding access to federal fisheries work. The company appears to be founder/management-owned with no disclosed institutional investors, and revenue figures are not publicly available.

Name

Responsive Management

Legal name

Responsive Management

Website

https://responsivemanagement.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Responsive Management is a Harrisonburg, Virginia-based survey research firm specializing in social science studies for natural resource management, wildlife conservation, and outdoor recreation, serving government agencies, conservation NGOs, and industry clients for over 35 years.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Survey Research Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK), Climate Change Mitigation & Adaptation (BPAGAGAF), Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO)

Keywords

• Survey research services
• Natural resource research
• Wildlife management surveys
• Outdoor recreation research
• Human dimensions research

Headquarters

HQ city

Harrisonburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Survey Research Services: Project-based professional services conducting custom survey research studies for government agencies, NGOs, industry partners, and academic institutions on topics related to natural resources, wildlife conservation, outdoor recreation, and related policy issues.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Responsive Management is a survey research firm that conducts custom social science research studies for government agencies, conservation NGOs, outdoor recreation industry firms, and academic institutions on natural resource, wildlife conservation, fisheries, hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation topics. Core services include multimodal surveys (telephone, mail, online, focus groups, personal interviews), program evaluation, economic analyses, strategic planning, organizational membership studies, and marketing/communications research, packaged as bespoke projects scoped through a 'Request a Proposal' process.

Product overview

Responsive Management is a survey research firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of research services focused on natural resource and outdoor recreation issues. The core offering consists of multimodal survey research services (telephone, mail, online surveys, focus groups, personal interviews) along with specialized analytical services including program evaluation, economic analyses, strategic planning, and membership studies. Research expertise spans 24+ topic areas including wildlife management, fisheries, hunting, fishing, R3 (Recruitment, Retention, Reactivation), outdoor recreation trends, and conservation funding. The company also publishes books and research reports, including The Sportsman's Voice, Watching Wildlife guides for Virginia and West Virginia, and R3 practitioner handbooks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Survey Research Services Multimodal survey research services, including telephone, mail, online surveys, focus groups, personal interviews, and needs assessments, designed for natural resource and outdoor recreation stakeholders such as state and federal agencies, conservation NGOs, industry partners, and academic institutions.
• Program Assessment and Evaluation Services Program assessment and evaluation services for fish and wildlife agencies and conservation organizations to measure effectiveness and outcomes of management, conservation, and outreach programs.
• Economic Analyses Economic impact analyses that measure the contribution of fish and wildlife recreation activities, including hunting, fishing, and wildlife viewing, to state and national economies.
• Marketing and Communications Services Marketing and communications planning, message development, and message testing services for conservation organizations and natural resource agencies.
• Strategic Planning and Direction Services Strategic planning and direction research services that help fish and wildlife agencies and conservation organizations develop long-term plans and directions.
• Organizational Membership Studies Market research services designed to help conservation NGOs increase membership through targeted membership studies and audience analyses.
• The Sportsman's Voice: Hunting and Fishing in America Publication that provides a comprehensive look at hunting and fishing in America, bridging scientific studies of human dimensions of conservation with practical application for natural resource professionals.
• Watching Wildlife Guidebook for wildlife watching from coast to coast, offering tips for identifying species and observing animals without disturbance.
• Virginia Wildlife Viewing Guide Guide to 80 premier wildlife viewing areas in Virginia, covering diverse wildlife and scenic natural areas across the Commonwealth.
• West Virginia Wildlife Viewing Guide Guide to 63 wildlife viewing locations in West Virginia, covering mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, and reptiles across the state's diverse habitats.
• Hunting, Fishing, Sport Shooting, and Archery R3 Handbook First-ever handbook summarizing essential and up-to-date research for Recruitment, Retention, and Reactivation (R3) efforts in outdoor recreation.
• The Future of Hunting and the Shooting Sports Research-based recruitment and retention strategies publication based on comprehensive literature review, focus groups, and nationwide scientific surveys for hunting and the shooting sports.
• Wildlife and the American Mind Compilation of findings from over 300 surveys conducted over a ten-year period on attitudes toward wildlife management and hunting, fishing, and wildlife watching programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hunters share 119 million pounds of harvested game with others: friends, food banks, and hunger relief organizations.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Responsive Management was awarded a NOAA ProTech 2.0 Fisheries Domain Contract, among 23 firms selected. Under this contract, the company conducts survey research projects on fisheries management for NOAA. The ceiling dollar amount for task orders under all ProTech domains is $8 billion.
• USA ArcherymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch a nationwide study exploring how the 2028 Olympic Games can be leveraged to grow archery participation and conservation funding.
• Archery Trade AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to conduct a comprehensive national bowhunter market trends study - the first of its kind since 1999. Will deliver national and regional insights along with trend analyses.
• Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting SportscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing partnership on multiple studies including national trend studies on attitudes toward hunting and sport shooting, webinar series, and R3 program research.
• Outdoor Stewards of Conservation FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConducted research on cultural support for hunting and shooting under a Multistate Conservation Grant.
• Hunters' Leadership ForumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple partnerships including research on hunter contributions to wildlife conservation, strategic communication guidance, and hunting debate workshops.
• National Shooting Sports FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered on focus groups and surveys with Black Americans regarding firearm ownership and target shooting, funded by Multistate Conservation Grant.
• Recreational Boating and Fishing FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research on angler participation and R3 effectiveness for state agencies and organizations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Westat: Large employee-owned research firm that conducts survey research and statistical analysis for federal agencies, including environmental and public health studies. Comparable as a contract survey research partner for federal resource agencies, though Westat serves a much broader portfolio of social science domains.
• RTI International: Nonprofit research institute delivering survey, statistical, and policy research for government and foundation clients, including environmental and natural resource work. Comparable as a multidisciplinary survey research contractor for federal agencies, though substantially larger and broader in scope than Responsive Management.
• NORC at the University of Chicago: Independent research institution conducting large-scale survey research for government, nonprofit, and academic clients across policy domains. Comparable as a survey-research-heavy contractor for federal agencies, with overlapping methodology and similar project-based revenue model.
• Mathematica: Policy research and data analytics firm providing survey research, program evaluation, and economic analysis for federal and state agencies. Comparable as a research services partner for public-sector clients on natural resource and environmental programs, though Mathematica operates at a much larger scale across many policy areas.
• Abt Associates: Research and consulting firm delivering survey research, impact evaluation, and policy analysis to government and NGO clients, including environmental and natural resource work. Comparable as a large federal contractor with overlapping survey methodology and a similar professional services model.
• Ipsos Public Affairs: Global survey research firm with a public affairs practice that conducts opinion and policy research for government agencies and NGOs. Comparable in survey methodology and federal client base, but operating as a much larger, diversified generalist.

Direct peers

• SSRS: Social Science Research Solutions is a survey research firm running multimodal (phone, web, in-person) studies for government, academic, and nonprofit clients. Closest direct peer in business model and methodology, though without Responsive Management's natural-resource domain specialization.
• Southwick Associates: Specialized research firm delivering economic and market analysis for hunting, fishing, and outdoor recreation industries and agencies. Closest direct peer in natural resource and outdoor recreation research focus, though oriented more toward economic impact than attitudinal survey research.

Emerging players

• Pew Research Center: Nonprofit fact tank that conducts large-scale public opinion survey research on social, demographic, and policy topics including environmental attitudes. Comparable in survey methodology and policy attitudes focus, though not a contract research vendor.

Others

• Cision Insights (formerly PR Data Services): Media and public opinion research provider serving communications, PR, and public affairs teams with custom survey and audience research. Comparable as an opinion research vendor for organizations needing public attitudes data, though oriented toward media and communications clients rather than natural resource agencies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ResponsiveMana1
• Facebookfacebook.com/responsivemanagement
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/responsive-management

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Responsive Management