About Us
About Us

Learn About The Institute for Association and Nonprofit Research - Nationwide

"A Vast Knowledge of Research Methodologies"

"I hired Joe at GBTA to build a research department from scratch and that he did. We started with just a few projects the first year and within 6 years he built the department (staff of 7), its capabilities (100+ projects annually) and its reputation in the industry. Joe is a professional researcher, presenter and leader. He has developed and delivered top notch research around the globe. He is strategic in his approach and has a vast knowledge of research methodologies, making it easy to find the right approach for each project." 
daphne bryant
— Daphne Bryant
Senior Vice President
American Council of Engineering Companies

Our mission is simple.

The Institute for Association and Nonprofit Research provides research services and consulting to associations and nonprofit organizations. It was founded to promote the use of research and information intelligence to help make rational, strategic decisions.

We serve you so that you can serve your members, clients and stakeholders.

We understand that to fulfill our mission we must provide professional, high-quality research and consulting services at not-for-profit prices.

Meet Our Team

joe bates headshot
Joe Bates founded The Institute for Association and Nonprofit Research (www.IfAssociationResearch.com). Our objective is simple…to promote the use of research and information intelligence to help associations and nonprofit organizations make rational, strategic decisions. We serve you so that you can serve your members, clients and stakeholders. We understand that to fulfill our mission we must provide professional, high-quality research and consulting services at not-for-profit prices.

Joe has more than 25 years of experience in the research industry and is an expert in qualitative and quantitative research design, implementation, analysis, and strategic plan consulting. He has worked in a variety of industries including healthcare, political polling, and associations/nonprofits. Joe is a professionally trained focus group moderator by the Burke Institute. Joe is a current member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the Insights Association.
Joe has worked for more than 20 years in the nonprofit sector. His experience includes serving as vice president of research and strategic initiatives for the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), where he created a research program in 2010 that generated $1.4 million in annual revenue by 2015, and as director of research for the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) where he oversaw a $2 million research program. Joe has also worked with dozens of nonprofit and association clients including the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD), Helicopter Association International (HAI), American Society of Travel Advisors (ASTA), American Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC), International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), Connex - The Multi-Site Facilities Network and the Food and Drug Law Institute (FDLI).

Joe is a seasoned presenter and enjoys communicating research trends and statistical data to staff, members and industry professionals in a humorous and easily understandable style. He has presented research hundreds of times in dozens of cities around the world.

Joe has been a guest lecturer at various universities including The College of William and Mary, the University of Virginia, Georgetown University, the University of Texas, George Mason University, and Northern Virginia Community College. In addition, he has presented at various industry conferences such as the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the Marketing Research Association (MRA) and the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE). 

Joe has served as a media spokesperson for various organizations and has been interviewed or quoted by hundreds of media outlets around the world including the NBC Nightly News, WUSA-9 (CBS affiliate), National Public Radio (NPR), CNN, MSNBC, CNBC, BBC, Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, San Jose Mercury News, Forbes and Investor’s Business Daily.
 
Joe graduated magna cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor of Arts degree from The College of William and Mary in Virginia.

​For more information about Joe Bates, visit his LinkedIn profile.

Matt Kerr is a Research Director at the Institute for Association and Nonprofit Research. He has over 15 years of experience in market research and analysis. Matt’s diverse experience includes the consumer, nonprofit, and most recently, the association research sectors. Matt has lead numerous research projects for Fortune 500 companies, globally recognized nonprofit organizations, and professional and trade associations. He was previously the lead researcher on the annual Membership Marketing Benchmarking Report from Marketing General Incorporated (MGI).


Matt earned his undergraduate degree at Kenyon College and his Master’s degree at the University of Arkansas.

Charlene Cornwell

Charlene Cornwell is a senior research consultant at the Institute for Association and Nonprofit Research. She is a qualitative researcher specializing in arts-based, ethnographic, and market research methods including conducting in-depth interviews, focus groups, and data analysis, and writing peer-reviewed publications. She has served as a lead researcher on several educational research projects as well as a research assistant on two large-scale, longitudinal studies funded by the NSF. Charlene has presented her research at national and international conferences and authored publications in the International Journal of Qualitative Studies in Education. 


Charlene has 17 years of experience as an elementary educator, working in schools across the US and internationally. Over the past four years, she has served as an instructor for the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities’ Elementary Teacher Education Program and will start a tenure-track position as an Assistant Professor in Elementary/Early Childhood Education at SUNY Cortland in the fall of 2023. Additionally, Charlene has previously consulted on curriculum development projects for non-profit organizations including the Coalition for Healthy School Food and The Financial Literacy Group. 


Charlene earned her PhD in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, her MST in Childhood Education from SUNY Cortland, and her BA in History from Binghamton University.

We Have More Than 25 Years of Experience in the Research Industry

 A Firm You Can Trust

Meet Our Team Today
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