We
Have a Passion
For Research That Makes A Difference.

“I need to know…”

“I need to know…
…will you help solve my business problem?”
The number one complaint clients have about research firms is that they don’t truly understand the client’s pain points and business needs. Therefore, the research doesn’t actually solve their problems.

We have A Passion for Research That Makes a Difference. That’s why we ask lots of questions of you, not just your target market. The more we understand your business need, the more useful we can be to you. The more useful we are to you, the more you want to partner with us. Everybody wins!

With others I’ve received reports; Grey Matter goes the full distance in uncovering the story and making those results matter to our business. I’ll absolutely go back to Grey Matter Research for our next marketing research project.
Jeff Nickel
TrueSense Marketing
Working with Grey Matter is less like engaging a research vendor and more like hiring a research partner. Working with Grey Matter, I gained insight not only about my research questions, but about research itself.
Jennifer Ryan
Catholic Relief Services

“…will I get the service and attention I need?”
Short answer: yes. We believe strongly in partnerships with clients, which is why we’ve been serving some of the same people for over two decades. We customize our reporting style to fit your needs and company culture. No interns or junior-level people will work on your projects.

We’re high-service, high-touch people who always want you to feel your business matters to us…because it actually does.

“…will I get the service and attention I need?”
Short answer: yes. We believe strongly in partnerships with clients, which is why we’ve been serving some of the same people for over two decades. We customize our reporting style to fit your needs and company culture. No interns or junior-level people will work on your projects.

We’re high-service, high-touch people who always want you to feel your business matters to us…because it actually does.

Working with Grey Matter is less like engaging a research vendor and more like hiring a research partner. Working with Grey Matter, I gained insight not only about my research questions, but about research itself.
Jennifer Ryan
Catholic Relief Services

“…will I get the skills and experience I need from you?”
Without question. We’ve partnered with some of the world’s great brands. Our company leader has moderated thousands of qualitative sessions and handled hundreds of quantitative studies ranging from four figures to six figures.

Our research has been covered extensively by the international media, used in U.S. Senate panel hearings, reprinted in a variety of languages, incorporated into college curriculum, and even featured in the opening monologue of The Tonight Show.

Ron Sellers has a knack for adding quality insights and recommendations to every project. Ron is also a consummate professional. His industry knowledge, experience, and rapport with clients are unsurpassed.
Dr. Scott L. Shook
Chevrolet
From the beginning, you responded to our compressed timeframe. You recruited a fantastic set of participants who definitely fit our profile. The discussion guide was masterful as was your orchestration of each session. Great on-site insights and coaching as well.
Marcia Kuszmaul
World Vision

“…will I get the quality of work I expect?”
Our clients sure think so, which is why most of our work is repeat or referral business. We’ve written extensively on data quality, which is frequently missing in research today. We run extensive quality checks in recruiting and data collection (by individuals, not algorithms), to make sure we’re depending on real, engaged respondents.

So the answer to this question is actually “no” – our goal is for the quality to be better than you expect.

“…will I get the quality of work I expect?”
Our clients sure think so, which is why most of our work is repeat or referral business. We’ve written extensively on data quality, which is frequently missing in research today. We run extensive quality checks in recruiting and data collection (by individuals, not algorithms), to make sure we’re depending on real, engaged respondents.

So the answer to this question is actually “no” – our goal is for the quality to be better than you expect.

From the beginning, you responded to our compressed timeframe. You recruited a fantastic set of participants who definitely fit our profile. The discussion guide was masterful as was your orchestration of each session. Great on-site insights and coaching as well.
Marcia Kuszmaul
World Vision

Articles & Studies

Giving and Faith

November 12, 2026

Donors’ religious faith heavily impacts where, why, and how much they give. It is influential for faith-based ministries, but also very much for secular non-profits. Learn more in our new report Giving and Faith – How Religion Shapes Where People Give, and How Generously.

READ MORE

The Critical Gap: Mid-level Donors

October 6, 2026

Mid-level donors are the critical gap between your mass market and major donors. Often around 10% of donors, they can provide up to 50% of your funds. Our new study The Critical Gap explores evangelical mid-level donors: where, how, and why they give.

READ MORE

Here or There? Where Donors Prefer to Give

September 11, 2026

Do donors prefer supporting work done locally, domestically, or outside the US? Why? And how can this impact how you communicate your work? Learn more in our new study Here or There? Where Donors Prefer to Give.

READ MORE

A Spiritual Report Card

August 12, 2026

We asked over 1,000 evangelicals to give themselves a report card on 12 different areas of their spiritual lives. Then we compared their grades with their actual activities in each area. Evangelicals are often pretty tough graders – but some can best be described as “delusional.”

READ MORE

Donor Email and Evangelicals

June 4, 2026

Our newest research report is You’ve Got Mail: Evangelicals and Donor Email. We explore how much donor email evangelicals actually receive from non-profits and ministries, how much they actually read, and what they do with it. Time to explode some more myths…

READ MORE

Giving Myths

April 10, 2026

Our latest update on giving and generosity among evangelicals – 2025 finally leveled off after multiple years of decline. Plus, we look at volunteerism, political giving, and the impact of digital church on church support. Check out The Generosity Landscape.

READ MORE

Giving and Faith

November 12, 2026

Donors’ religious faith heavily impacts where, why, and how much they give. It is influential for faith-based ministries, but also very much for secular non-profits. Learn more in our new report Giving and Faith – How Religion Shapes Where People Give, and How Generously.

READ MORE

The Critical Gap: Mid-level Donors

October 6, 2026

Mid-level donors are the critical gap between your mass market and major donors. Often around 10% of donors, they can provide up to 50% of your funds. Our new study The Critical Gap explores evangelical mid-level donors: where, how, and why they give.

READ MORE

Here or There? Where Donors Prefer to Give

September 11, 2026

Do donors prefer supporting work done locally, domestically, or outside the US? Why? And how can this impact how you communicate your work? Learn more in our new study Here or There? Where Donors Prefer to Give.

READ MORE

A Spiritual Report Card

August 12, 2026

We asked over 1,000 evangelicals to give themselves a report card on 12 different areas of their spiritual lives. Then we compared their grades with their actual activities in each area. Evangelicals are often pretty tough graders – but some can best be described as “delusional.”

READ MORE

Donor Email and Evangelicals

June 4, 2026

Our newest research report is You’ve Got Mail: Evangelicals and Donor Email. We explore how much donor email evangelicals actually receive from non-profits and ministries, how much they actually read, and what they do with it. Time to explode some more myths…

READ MORE

Giving Myths

April 10, 2026

Our latest update on giving and generosity among evangelicals – 2025 finally leveled off after multiple years of decline. Plus, we look at volunteerism, political giving, and the impact of digital church on church support. Check out The Generosity Landscape.

READ MORE
VIEW MORE ARTICLES & STUDIES

“Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen, and thinking what nobody has thought.”
– Albert Szent-Gyorgyi von Nagyrapolt