What Springtide Research Institute does

Springtide Research Institute is a 501(c)(3) non-profit social science research organization founded in 2019 as a subsidiary of Lasallian Educational and Research Initiatives (LERI). Operating fully remotely with approximately 18 staff and physical offices in Bloomington, Minnesota, Springtide conducts rigorous quantitative and qualitative research on young people ages 13–25, with particular depth in the intersection of religion, spirituality, mental health, belonging, and education. Its core products are two pre-built survey instruments: Compass, a configurable survey platform for organizations serving youth (starting at $1,499 with add-on modules covering religious identity, mental health, loneliness and belonging, sacredness, and custom questions); and The Belonging Index, a school climate survey with 50,000+ student completions nationwide.

Underlying the products is a traditional mixed-methods research stack — census-split sampling, cognitive interviews, multi-researcher coding, and analysis in IBM SPSS, Stata, or R — validated by an external Institutional Review Board operating under US Department of Health and Human Services regulations. Beyond products, Springtide delivers custom research, program and grant evaluation, consulting, and a speaking bureau. Revenue derives from a mix of grants and donations (notably multi-year support from Lilly Endowment Inc. for 'Journey to What's Working'), fee-based custom research engagements, pay-as-you-go Compass and Belonging Index sales, speaking fees, and content monetization through the 13 to 25 podcast, The Tide Report newsletter, and research reports. Customer segments are predominantly religious organizations, schools (including Catholic, Lasallian, and other faith-based institutions), and nonprofits serving young people, with named engagements spanning Episcopal Diocese of Central Florida, the Lilly Network of Church-Related Colleges and Universities, Washington University in St. Louis, Catholic Charities USA, BBYO, Princeton Theological Seminary, and De Marillac Academy, among others.

Distribution combines direct sales for custom engagements, self-serve purchase for Compass, and an event-driven speakers bureau; marketing is content-led via blog, podcast, newsletter, webinars, social media, and earned media in outlets including Religion News Service, Christianity Today, and The Hill. The Springtide Ambassadors Program integrates youth ages 13–25 into research design and content production, functioning as both a quality control mechanism for authentic youth voice and a top-of-funnel community channel. Operating geographies are restricted to the United States.

Name

Springtide Research Institute

Legal name

Springtide Research Institute

Website

https://springtideresearch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Springtide Research Institute is a US-based nonprofit research organization that conducts mixed-methods social science research and provides custom studies, Compass and Belonging Index surveys, grant evaluation, and speaking services to religious institutions, schools, and nonprofits serving young people ages 13–25.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Science Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Survey, Panel & Fieldwork Services (BPAHALAJ)

Keywords

• Youth research services
• Social science research
• School climate surveys
• Nonprofit program evaluation
• Religion and spirituality research

Headquarters

HQ city

Winona

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Grants and Donations: The work of Springtide Research Institute is supported through grants and donations. Major funding includes support from Lilly Endowment Inc. for specific research projects.
2. Custom Research Services: Custom surveys, data analysis, focus groups, program evaluations, grant support, and consulting services sold to educational, religious, and nonprofit organizations.
3. Product Sales: Sale of pre-built research products including Compass surveys starting at $1,499 and The Belonging Index for schools. Add-on modules available for additional purchase.
4. Speaking and Presentations: Fees for speaking engagements, keynotes, workshops, and professional development presentations at conferences and organizational events.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Springtide Research Institute conducts custom social-science research and sells pre-built survey instruments (Compass starting at $1,499 and The Belonging Index) for organizations serving young people ages 13–25. It supplements these research products with grant and program evaluation, paid speaking engagements, and consulting for religious institutions, schools, and youth-serving nonprofits across the United States.

Product overview

Springtide Research Institute operates as a research and consulting organization rather than a unified software product. Its offerings include a pre-built survey platform called Compass for organizations serving young people, the Belonging Index (a school climate survey), and custom research and consulting services. Supporting content products include research reports, Data Drops articles, the 13 to 25 Podcast, blog content, The Tide Report newsletter, and the Journey to What's Working webinar. The Compass platform and Belonging Index form the core survey products, with Compass starting at $1,499 and offering add-on modules, while custom research provides bespoke consulting engagements. The organization also offers speaking engagements, nonprofit grant evaluation services, and the Springtide Ambassadors Program for youth engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Compass: Pre-built survey platform for organizations to gather data from young people ages 13-25, offering affordable survey options with modules on religious identity, mental health, loneliness, and belonging. Starts at $1,499.
• The Belonging Index
• 13 to 25 Podcast
• Springtide Ambassadors Program

Products and services

• Compass Pre-built, nationally tested survey platform for organizations serving young people ages 13–25, with a core survey on identity and engagement plus optional add-on modules covering Religious Identity & Practice, Mental Health, Loneliness & Belonging, Sacredness, and Custom Survey Questions. Starting price is $1,499 and includes a unique survey link, QR code, online data dashboard (available for 2 years), Quick Start Guide, and access to the Compass Road Map web page.
• The Belonging Index Field-tested school climate survey that measures student belonging, thriving, and academic success, helping education leaders measure how students feel noticed, named, and known. Backed by 50,000+ student responses in Catholic high schools nationwide; positioned as ready-to-use for schools and offered via subscription billing.
• Custom Research & Consulting Tailored research services for organizations serving young people, including custom surveys, quantitative and qualitative analysis, focus groups, program and grant evaluation, in-depth interviews, consulting, on-site research, and designed reports and presentations. Sold on a quote basis with separate research solutions offered for educators, nonprofit organizations, and religious organizations.
• Nonprofit Program & Grant Evaluation Expert grant and program evaluation services that help organizations track outcomes, demonstrate accountability to funders, inform future funding opportunities, and strengthen programs and initiatives serving young people ages 13–25.
• Speaking & Professional Development Research-based keynotes, presentations, and workshops delivered by Springtide's expert speakers at conferences, schools, religious institutions, and organizational events on topics including Religion & Spirituality, Mental Health, Race & Ethnicity, Trusted Adults & Mentors, Loneliness & Belonging, Exploring the Sacred, and Civic Engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• The Belonging Index has been completed by 50,000+ students nationwide, showing correlations between student belonging, thriving, and academic success
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and strategic.

• Lasallian Educational and Research Initiatives (LERI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Springtide Research Institute was founded in 2019 under the leadership of John Vitek, then CEO of Lasallian Educational and Research Initiatives (LERI). LERI is a nonprofit, tax-exempt 501(c)(3) member organization in the State of Minnesota whose publishing roots date back to 1943. Springtide operates as an expression of the 300-year-old Lasallian movement of educators.
• PASOS Network (Dominican University)strategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe PASOS Network, housed in Dominican University's Division of Mission and Ministry, partnered with Springtide to conduct the 'Como en Casa' research on Latina/o college students thriving in Catholic campus life.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Search Institute: Search Institute studies youth development, relationships, and community assets through frameworks like Developmental Assets; its applied research on young people ages 12-25 mirrors Springtide's youth-development focus and survey-based tools.
• Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI): PRRI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization that conducts surveys and analysis on religion, culture, and public life, including generational cohorts — closely overlapping with Springtide's religion-and-young-people research agenda.
• Hart Research Associates: Hart Research Associates is a custom social and opinion research firm working with nonprofits, religious organizations, and foundations on survey design and analysis — directly comparable to Springtide's custom-research and consulting practice.
• Barna Group: Barna Group is a research and consulting firm focused on faith, culture, and generational change, with a strong emphasis on young people, teens, and church leaders — directly comparable to Springtide's religious and youth-research focus.
• Lifeway Research: Lifeway Research conducts surveys and studies on religion, church trends, and faith formation, including research on youth and young adults — directly comparable to Springtide's faith-based survey and report offerings.

Broad incumbents

• NORC at the University of Chicago: NORC is a large, independent research institution that conducts social science surveys and methodological work, often subcontracted by foundations and government — comparable as a potential competitor and partner for large-scale youth research.
• Pew Research Center: Pew Research Center is a much larger, well-funded social science research organization producing widely cited surveys on religion, generations, and American life — Springtide competes for the same media and funder attention at a smaller scale.
• Gallup: Gallup conducts large-scale public opinion and behavioral research, including generational and religion-related studies; as a broad incumbent, it represents the kind of well-funded survey organization Springtide's Compass and Belonging Index compete against for funder attention.

Others

• CIRCLE at Tufts University: CIRCLE (Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement) focuses on youth civic engagement research and is frequently cited in the same discourse as Springtide's reports on young people, religion, and civic life — a thematic peer rather than direct competitor.

Emerging players

• Cardus: Cardus is a Canadian-based think tank producing social science research on religion, education, civil society, and generations — a comparable niche player with overlapping interest in faith-based youth and education research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/WeAreSpringtide
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/springtideresearchinstitute
• Facebookfacebook.com/WeAreSpringtide
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/springtide-research-institute
• Instagraminstagram.com/wearespringtide

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

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 Springtide Research Institute