Research conducted by Headwaters Economics is fully independent. We receive funding from a wide variety of sources as part of our mission to improve community development and land management decisions in the West.

Headwaters Economics determines what research topics to pursue and the best way to interpret research findings. Our research also goes through peer review, and we routinely publish our work in scientific journals such as the Journal of Forestry, Solutions Journal, Journal of Rural Studies, Landscape and Urban Planning, Society and Natural Resources, Growth and Change, and Human Ecology Review.

Our revenue comes from numerous places: federal agencies, such as the Bureau of Land Management and U.S. Forest Service; partnerships on specific projects, including the Montana Legislature, Madison County, Montana, and Stanford University; local development organizations such Economic Development Central Oregon and the Community Foundation (Boulder, CO); charitable foundations, such as the Kendeda Fund and the M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust; and contract work for non-profit organizations.