Washington Research Council

What Washington Research Council does

The Washington Research Council is a nonprofit policy research organization headquartered at 520 Pike Street, Suite 1212, in Seattle, Washington. The organization's stated mission is to provide timely, credible economic research and policy analysis supporting economic vitality and private sector job creation in Washington state. Its research is exclusively focused on Washington state fiscal policy, including budget sustainability, tax policy, transportation funding, housing and homelessness spending, and overall fiscal health of the state.

The Council's core products include the periodic Fiscal Management Performance Review, which evaluates Washington's operating budget on multiple fiscal sustainability factors, alongside a steady cadence of policy briefs analyzing current legislative and fiscal developments (such as the 9.9% income tax on earnings over $1 million enacted under ESSB 6346, and the $9 billion tax package accompanying the 2025-27 operating budget). The organization also produces four podcast series — Policy Today, In Focus, Common Ground, and 90 Seconds with the Washington Research Council — to distribute research findings through audio channels.

The organization operates as a donation-funded nonprofit with no commercial product or pricing structure. All publications, reports, and podcasts are distributed free of charge through the organization's website and email newsletter. Primary audience segments include Washington state legislators and policymakers, Washington state businesses, and the general public and media. The Council is governed by a Board of Directors and does not have any disclosed parent company, subsidiaries, or institutional investors.

Name

Washington Research Council

Legal name

Washington Research Council

Website

https://researchcouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1932

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Washington Research Council is a Seattle-based nonprofit policy research organization that produces fiscal policy analysis, policy briefs, and podcasts focused exclusively on Washington state budget, tax, and economic issues for legislators, businesses, and the public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Think Tanks, Policy Research & Public Policy Institutes (BPAGAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Policy, Regulatory & Public Affairs Research (BPAHALAF)

Keywords

• Fiscal policy research
• Budget analysis
• Tax policy research
• Economic research
• State policy publications

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Contributions: The organization operates as a non-profit and relies on donations from supporters to fund its research activities. The website includes a prominent 'Donate' call-to-action.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Washington Research Council is a nonprofit policy research organization that produces economic research and fiscal policy analysis focused exclusively on Washington state. Its core offerings include the periodic Fiscal Management Performance Review, policy briefs on tax policy, budget sustainability, transportation, and housing, plus four podcast series (Policy Today, In Focus, Common Ground, and 90 Seconds). All research outputs are distributed free of charge via the organization's website and digital channels.

Product overview

The Washington Research Council is a policy research organization that provides economic research and fiscal policy analysis supporting economic vitality and private sector job creation in Washington state. The organization's offerings consist of research publications including the Fiscal Management Performance Review (a periodic fiscal performance review), policy briefs analyzing tax policy, budget sustainability, housing, transportation, and business tax burden issues, along with four podcast programs (Policy Today, InFocus, Common Ground, and 90 Seconds) that disseminate research findings. Publications are organized by year and topic, with a blog providing ongoing analysis of budget, economy, tax policy, and transportation issues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Policy Today: Podcast series on policy topics
• In Focus
• Common Ground
• 90 Seconds with the Washington Research Council

Products and services

• Fiscal Management Performance Review A periodic flagship report from the Washington Research Council that evaluates Washington state's operating budget on multiple factors including spending growth sustainability, budget sustainability requirements, and fiscal health indicators. It is aimed at state legislators, policymakers, businesses, and the public seeking an independent assessment of the state's fiscal condition.
• Policy Briefs Short-form research publications from the Washington Research Council that analyze current Washington state fiscal policy issues, including tax policy, budget sustainability, housing and homelessness spending, transportation funding, and the business tax burden. They are intended for state legislators, policymakers, businesses, journalists, and the informed public.
• Policy Today Podcast A podcast series from the Washington Research Council covering economic research and policy analysis topics relevant to Washington's fiscal health and economic vitality. Aimed at policymakers, businesses, journalists, and the general public.
• In Focus Podcast A podcast series from the Washington Research Council providing in-depth analysis and discussion of Washington state economic and fiscal policy issues. Targeted at audiences seeking deeper exploration of specific policy topics.
• Common Ground Podcast A podcast series from the Washington Research Council fostering discussion and consensus-building on Washington state economic policy matters. Designed for audiences interested in dialogue on fiscal and economic issues.
• 90 Seconds Podcast A brief podcast series from the Washington Research Council providing concise economic research insights and policy analysis highlights, intended for audiences seeking quick takes on Washington state fiscal issues.

Segments3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Council on State Taxation (COST): A national organization analyzing state and local tax policy and its impact on business — directly comparable in producing the business-tax-burden data WRC references in its Washington-state briefs.
• Tax Foundation: A national nonprofit doing data-driven fiscal and tax policy research and education — operates in the same fiscal-policy research category as WRC but at a national rather than state-focused scale.
• National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL): A bipartisan organization serving state legislators across all U.S. states with research and analysis on budget, tax, and fiscal policy — overlaps with WRC's product/research focus but at a multistate scale.
• Pew Charitable Trusts - State Fiscal Health: A national nonprofit producing research on state fiscal policy and budget sustainability — comparable in fiscal research methodology and recurring reporting to WRC's Fiscal Management Performance Review.
• RAND Corporation: A large nonprofit research institution producing policy analysis across fiscal, economic, and social topics — shares the broader research-and-analysis model with WRC but operates at far larger scale and a much broader portfolio.
• State Budget Officers (NASBO): The professional association for state budget officers producing fiscal and budget analyses used by state policymakers — comparable to WRC in budget sustainability research, though serving a different stakeholder group.

Direct peers

• Washington State Institute for Public Policy (WSIPP): A Washington-state legislative research institute that conducts nonpartisan fiscal and policy research for the state legislature — directly comparable in mission to inform Washington state policy and budget decisions.
• Washington State Budget & Policy Center: A Washington-state-focused nonprofit research and policy organization that analyzes state budget, tax, and economic policy — directly comparable to WRC in geography, mission, and target audience, though typically from a more progressive fiscal perspective.
• Taxpayers Association of Washington: A Washington-state organization focused on tax policy and government spending accountability — overlaps with WRC's fiscal-policy remit on a state-only basis.
• Washington Policy Center: An independent Washington-state think tank producing research on fiscal, tax, and economic policy — a close mirror to WRC in scope and audience, with a free-market policy orientation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WRCresearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Washington Research Council