Keystone Research Center

What Keystone Research Center does

Keystone Research Center (KRC) is a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit policy research organization founded in 1995 and headquartered in Harrisburg, with an additional constituent research presence through the Pittsburgh Budget and Policy Center. KRC conducts original research and produces reports on progressive economic policy issues affecting Pennsylvania workers and families, covering healthcare, education, the environment, infrastructure, jobs and the PA economy, and fair tax systems. Its work includes county-level minimum wage fact sheets built from the Economic Policy Institute's Family Budget Calculator, budget and policy analysis through the Pittsburgh Budget and Policy Center, and recurring blog commentary via the "Third and State" publication. Beyond research production, KRC explicitly positions itself as a coalition-builder among fragmented progressive constituencies—labor unions, faith-based organizations, human services advocates, women's groups, environmental organizations, and organizations of people of color—convening summits such as "Powered By Workers: A Pennsylvania Summit on the Future of Labor."

KRC's business model is that of a typical nonprofit think tank: content is distributed free of charge through its website, blog, publications, and events, while operating expenses are funded through donations (a "DONATE" link is prominent on the website) and grants from individuals and organizations supportive of progressive economic policy. The organization does not sell a technology product and has no proprietary software, API, or platform offering. Its go-to-market is research-led and advocacy-oriented, targeting Pennsylvania state legislators, policymakers, labor and faith-based advocacy groups, and the broader Pennsylvania public. Marketing and distribution channels include the Third and State blog, research publications, press releases, and events such as the 2025 anniversary summit. KRC recently entered a multi-state research partnership with ReImagine Appalachia to co-publish analyses of federal clean energy and manufacturing investments across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia. In September 2025, the organization celebrated its 30th anniversary and transitioned executive leadership from founding Executive Director Dr. Stephen Herzenberg to Bernie Gallagher.

The organization operates with a small staff (11-50 employees per firmographic data) and is independently funded with no parent company or institutional investor involvement based on available information.

Name

Keystone Research Center

Legal name

Keystone Research Center

Website

https://krc-pbpc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Keystone Research Center is a Pennsylvania-based nonprofit founded in 1995 that produces original economic policy research, county-level data fact sheets, and advocacy analysis for state legislators, policymakers, labor and progressive coalitions, and the general public.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Policy Research and Economic Analysis Services

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Policy research services
• Economic policy analysis
• Nonprofit think tank
• Labor market research
• Budget policy analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Harrisburg

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: As a nonprofit research organization, KRC is funded through donations and grants from individuals and organizations supportive of progressive economic policy.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Keystone Research Center is a Pennsylvania non-profit that conducts original research, produces reports and fact sheets, and promotes public dialogue on economic problems affecting workers and families. Its work spans minimum wage, healthcare, education, environment, infrastructure, jobs, and fair tax systems, and it delivers analysis via county-level data products, policy briefs, a public policy blog, and an affiliated Pittsburgh-focused budget center.

Product overview

Keystone Research Center (KRC) is a non-profit policy research organization focused on economic and labor policy issues in Pennsylvania. The organization does not offer a technology product platform but instead provides research and publications including policy analysis reports, blog posts (Third and State Blog), fact sheets on minimum wage and economic data, and specialized research through the Pittsburgh Budget and Policy Center. The organization's work focuses on issues including healthcare, education, environment, infrastructure, jobs and the PA economy, and fair tax systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Third and State: A progressive blog on public policy in Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ReImagine AppalachiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025KRC collaborates with ReImagine Appalachia on research reports examining clean energy and manufacturing investments in Appalachia. Joint reports include 'If You Fund It, They Will Come' examining how federal investments through the Inflation Reduction Act and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act have catalyzed economic transformation across Kentucky, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
• Pittsburgh Budget and Policy CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Pittsburgh Budget and Policy Center (PBPC) operates as a component of KRC's research and publications, focusing on budget and policy analysis for Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. PBPC publishes statements and analysis on city budget issues and economic policy.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Urban Institute: Nonprofit research organization focused on economic and social policy affecting low- and middle-income Americans. Directly comparable to KRC in mission orientation toward working families and state-and-local budget/fiscal research, but with national scope and substantially larger resources.
• RAND Corporation: Established nonprofit research institution conducting policy analysis across health, education, labor, and infrastructure. Comparable to KRC in the structure of producing publicly available research to inform public decision-making, but at much larger scale and broader topic coverage.
• Brookings Institution: Large, established Washington-based research institution producing policy analysis across economic, education, healthcare, and urban-policy domains. Comparable to KRC's broad policy-research model but at vastly greater scale and with a more centrist orientation.

Direct peers

• Economic Policy Institute: Progressive think tank producing data-driven research on wages, labor markets, and inequality. Closely comparable to KRC's 'Jobs and the PA Economy' and minimum-wage research streams, and to its coalition orientation with labor unions.
• Demos: Progressive public-policy organization focused on economic inequality, democracy, and racial justice. Comparable to KRC in mission, in producing policy reports and commentary, and in coalition-style advocacy with communities of color and labor.
• Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: National progressive policy research organization focused on budget, tax, and antipoverty policy. Directly comparable to KRC in mission orientation (low-income working families, fair tax, budget analysis) and in operating model of publishing accessible research and fact sheets to influence state and federal policy.
• Center for American Progress: Large progressive policy institute working across economic, education, healthcare, and energy issues. Comparable to KRC in issue breadth, advocacy orientation, and emphasis on research-driven policy advocacy; differs mainly in national scale.

Regional players

• Commonwealth Foundation: Pennsylvania-based free-market state policy think tank. Operates in the same Pennsylvania state-policy ecosystem and produces research on budget, tax, and labor issues, but from a free-market rather than progressive orientation, making it a counterpart rather than a direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PennBPC
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/keystone-research-center

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Keystone Research Center