Northwest Institute of Research
The Northwest Institute of Research (NWIR) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit research and technical assistance organization incorporated in 1975 and located in Erie, Pennsylvania. Originally established as a social science research institute focused on organizational development and evaluation, NWIR has evolved to directly serve children and families through comprehensive programs and services. The organization partners with public and private human service organizations to build and operate high-quality, accountable, and results-driven programs.
Key facts about Northwest Institute of Research
- EIN
- 25-1296727
- Latest 990 filing
- Form 990-PF, 2025
- Annual giving (2025)
- $3,006,464
- Grants made (2025)
- 65
- Average grant
- $46,253
- Median grant
- $6,500
- New grantees (estimate)
- 35% first-time grantees (19 of 54, 2025)
- Total assets
- $8,959,316
- Primary geography
- Pennsylvania (94% of itemized 2025 grant dollars)
Data from IRS Form 990-PF, 2025; updated September 2026. New grantees are estimated by matching recipient names across years (methodology).
Who Northwest Institute of Research funds
By grant dollars, the top recipient states for Northwest Institute of Research's 65 itemized 2025 grants were Pennsylvania (94%). The most frequent recipient cities were Erie, PA (20 grants), Corry, PA (3 grants), Conneautville, PA (2 grants) and Franklin, PA (2 grants). None of its 65 grants with a stated purpose were described as general or operating support. Recurring purposes include "Early Childhood Education" (65 grants).
Is Northwest Institute of Research open to new grantees?
35%
first-time grantees, 2025
In 2025, 19 of 54 grantees (35%) were first-time recipients. First grants averaged $24K; repeat grants $73K. How we count
Medians: $6K first-time, $7K repeat.
Estimate from itemized IRS Form 990-PF grant lists (2019–2025). Recipient names are matched across years, so a renamed or misspelled grantee can look new; grants to individuals are left out. Methodology.
Next steps with Northwest Institute of Research
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Financial Overview
From 2025 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$9.0M
+21.3% YoY
Annual Giving
$3.0M
+45.1% YoY
Grant Count
65
+85.7% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$46K
-21.9% YoY
Mission & Focus Areas
NWIR's mission is to partner with public and private human service organizations and their stakeholders to build and operate high quality, accountable, and results-driven programs. The organization emphasizes collaboration, commitment to research and technical assistance, and programming excellence through evidence-based practices.
Primary focus areas include:
- Early Childhood Education (ECE): Management and operation of research and social service programs with emphasis on early childhood development
- Child Care Support: Administration of Pennsylvania's Child Care Works (CCW) program, providing subsidized child care for working families
- Quality Improvement: Implementation of the Keystone STARS quality rating system for early childhood education providers
- Technical Assistance: Provision of knowledge, skills, and support to partner organizations
Grantmaking
NWIR distributes program funding to qualified organizations rather than operating as a traditional grantmaker. In fiscal year 2024-2025, NWIR Regions 1 and 2 collectively distributed more than $41 million to child care programs on behalf of subsidy-eligible families and directly to providers through grant funding.
Ready to take the next step with Northwest Institute of Research?
Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
NWIR operates across two Early Learning Resource Center regions:
ELRC Region 1 (since 2018): Erie, Crawford, Mercer, and Venango counties
ELRC Region 2 (since July 2024): Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Potter, and Warren counties
Grant Distribution by State
Share of all 65 itemized 2025 grant dollars.
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Fiscal Year 2024-2025 (ending June 2025):
- Total Revenue: $47,440,023
- Total Expenses: $46,542,737
- Net Income: $897,286
- Net Assets: $5,040,996
- Total Assets: $8,959,316
Revenue Composition:
- Contributions: $47,023,807 (99.1%)
- Program Services: $119,933 (0.3%)
- Investment Income: $149,836 (0.3%)
- Sales of Assets: $51,694 (0.1%)
Revenue increased 20% from the prior year, signaling strong growth momentum.
Program Expenses (Fiscal Year 2024-2025):
- Early Childhood Program: $45,171,614 in expenses with $46,126,918 in revenue
| Metric | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $8,959,316 | $7,386,018 | $7,232,287 |
| Revenue | $47,440,023 | $39,503,006 | $43,423,687 |
| Expenses | $46,542,737 | $39,469,969 | $42,795,724 |
| Qualifying Distributions | — | — | — |
| Net Investment Income | $201,530 | $123,899 | $73,151 |
| Distributable Amount | — | — | — |
Data update history
When this profile's IRS filing data changed on Grantable
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2019 (received by the IRS May 15, 2020)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2020 (received by the IRS May 17, 2021)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2021 (received by the IRS May 11, 2022)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2022 (received by the IRS May 15, 2023)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2023 (received by the IRS May 9, 2024)
- Updated Form 990 for fiscal year 2024 (received by the IRS May 12, 2025)
- Added Form 990 for fiscal year 2025 (received by the IRS May 15, 2026)
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2025
Grant Size Distribution
521 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2025 grants, the largest recipients include YMCA of Greater Erie ($761,500 across 2 grants), Early Connections Inc ($514,000 across 3 grants), Timber Ridge Child Care ($306,000 across 2 grants).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| YMCA OF GREATER ERIE Erie, PA | EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | $704,000 |
| EARLY CONNECTIONS INC Erie, PA | EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | $448,000 |
| TIMBER RIDGE CHILD CARE Conneautville, PA | EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | $256,000 |
| YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION - CORRY Corry, PA | EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | $192,000 |
| ZION EDUCATION CENTER Farrell, PA | EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | $128,000 |
| CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS INC Franklin, PA | EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | $125,000 |
| PLAYHOUSE CHILDREN'S CENTER LLC Punxsutawney, PW | EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | $112,000 |
| CHILD DEVELOPMENT CENTERS INC Franklin, PA | EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | $78,500 |
| THE LEARNING LADDER EARLY CHILD CARE CENT Erie, PA | EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | $75,000 |
| YMCA OF GREATER ERIE Erie, PA | EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | $57,500 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board of Directors:
- Linda Holman, MBA, SPHR — Board President
- Dr. April Torrence — Vice President
- Dr. Aldo R. Jackson, Ph.D. — Treasurer
- Dr. Philip Belfiore, Ph.D. — Secretary
- Dr. Ben Wilson — At-Large
- Elana Como, MS, Early Childhood Studies — At-Large
Executive Leadership:
- Elana Como, MS, Early Childhood Studies — CEO
- Stephanie Duda — Vice President & Quality Director
- Katie Sullivan — Finance Director
- Tyler Behr — Human Resources Director
- Steve Krivonak — Development Director
The Board of Directors meets at minimum three times per year in March, June, and October.
Compensation Overview
From 2025 IRS filing
From 2025 IRS filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elana Como | CEO | 40 | $191,265 |
| Aldo Jackson PHD | Treasurer | 1 | — |
| Philip Belfiore PHD | Secretary | 1 | — |
| Linda Holman Mba SPHR | President | 1 | — |
| Dr Ben Wilson | At-Large | 1 | — |
| Dr April Torrence | Vice President | 1 | — |
| Suzanne Preston | At-Large | 1 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
**ELRC Region 2 Expansion**: In July 2024, NWIR assumed management of Early Learning Resource Center Region 2, expanding operations to nine additional counties
**Performance Review**: The 2024-2025 annual monitoring review of ELRC Region 1 confirmed that all goals and performance standards were met
**Provider Support**: NWIR helped 15 new early childhood education providers open locations across all four counties in ELRC Region 1
**Family Services**: The ELRC assisted over 4,700 children by connecting families with affordable, high-quality childcare through the Child Care Works program
**Leadership Engagement**: NWIR held its inaugural leadership luncheon bringing together over 40 ECE providers, businesses, and community stakeholders
**Governance Update**: Board bylaws were updated in 2023 to reflect governance changes
Contact Information
Address: 3823 W 12th Street, Erie, PA 16505
Phone: 814-833-9390
Email: info@nwir.org
Website: www.nwir.org
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Northwest Institute of Research fund?
NWIR's mission is to partner with public and private human service organizations and their stakeholders to build and operate high quality, accountable, and results-driven programs. The organization emphasizes collaboration, commitment to research and technical assistance, and programming excellence through evidence-based practices. Primary focus areas include: • **Early Childhood Education (ECE)**: Management and operation of research and social service programs with emphasis on early childhood…
How do I apply for a grant from Northwest Institute of Research?
NWIR distributes program funding to qualified organizations rather than operating as a traditional grantmaker. In fiscal year 2024-2025, NWIR Regions 1 and 2 collectively distributed more than $41 million to child care programs on behalf of subsidy-eligible families and directly to providers through grant funding. Recent grantmaking activity includes: • Distribution of over $19,000 in grants to 18 early childhood education providers in 2024 through the JAM Team Foundation's Miracle Spaces progr…
Where does Northwest Institute of Research make grants?
NWIR operates across two Early Learning Resource Center regions: **ELRC Region 1** (since 2018): Erie, Crawford, Mercer, and Venango counties **ELRC Region 2** (since July 2024): Cameron, Clarion, Clearfield, Elk, Forest, Jefferson, McKean, Potter, and Warren counties
What size grants does Northwest Institute of Research award?
In 2025, Northwest Institute of Research awarded 65 grants totaling $3.0M — an average of about $46K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
What is Northwest Institute of Research's EIN?
Northwest Institute of Research's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 25-1296727. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2019–2025.
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Data last updated September 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated September 2026.