Harder+Company helps nonprofits, public agencies, and foundations to pursue their missions through high-quality research and consulting services. We provide data-driven analysis to help organizations understand the results of their programs and initiatives—and translate that data into actionable improvements. Our expertise spans a wide range of social impact areas, such as healthcare, social services, community development, educational achievement, arts and culture, and violence prevention. Consulting services provided by our firm include program evaluation, strategic planning, community engagement, and nonprofit capacity-building.

 

Our Values. Harder+Company Community Research began with a conversation between two like-minded people in 1986.  They believed it was possible—necessary—to apply high quality research and planning to the social sector. Our work continues to revolve around the five core values established at our founding:

• Commitment: We are deeply dedicated to improving the lives of people and communities through work that has direct social impact.
• Respect: Our work pays a high level of respect to the experiences, insights, and perspectives of our clients, fellow team members, and the people and communities we serve.
• Collaboration: Our company thrives on a deep level of engagement and interaction among staff and with our clients and stakeholders.
• Diversity: We believe that communities benefit from inclusive, culturally based services, and we back that up with a staff that is truly diverse on many levels.
• Integrity: We strive to maintain the highest ethical standards in our practice, and work every day to ensure that we help our clients achieve meaningful social impact.

 

Our Team. With offices in San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, and San Diego, our research and consulting staff is culturally and ethnically diverse, multi-lingual, and hails from a wide range of professional and academic backgrounds. Our management team provides direction for the firm and leadership within the field of social sector evaluation and planning. Moreover, many of our team members contribute their time and energy to causes in their own communities.

 

Social Impact Areas. Harder+Company’s staff have expertise across sectors that are essential to healthy communities. Learn more about the expertise—and experience—we offer in the following fields: Arts & Culture; Children, Youth & Families; Education; Health; Human Services; Leadership Development; Philanthropy and Workforce Development.

 

Consulting Services

Harder+Company delivers consulting services that help organizations answer pressing questions in order to achieve their mission. We have honed our offerings into three key service areas:

• Program Evaluation. Our evaluation work helps clients to determine how their programs and initiatives work. We offer expertise in formative, process, outcome, impact, and developmental evaluation.
• Strategic Planning. We work with clients to conduct needs assessment, assess strengths, clarify direction, and use data to map out a course of action for the future.
• Our Research Methods. All of Harder+Company’s services are built on a wide array of applied research methods that blend traditional and innovative approaches to instrument design, data collection, analysis, and stakeholder engagement. We do work that is both rigorous and practical – using sound research and planning techniques while producing user-friendly reports and tools that offer practical recommendations for program improvement, organizational learning, and strategic decision-making.