What Is Participatory Research and Should Your Nonprofit Be Using It?
What Is Participatory Research and Should Your Nonprofit Be Using It
5 minute readParticipatory research asks a different question than traditional research. Instead of 'what do we find out about this community,' it asks 'how do we conduct research with this community?' In participatory approaches, the people most affected by the issue being studied are active contributors to the research design, data collection, and interpretation — not just subjects of the investigation.
Participatory approaches are increasingly valued by funders in 2026. For research design support including participatory methods, see our grants and academic research services. For how participatory findings connect to program design, see our guide on why every nonprofit needs a research department.
We'll cover:
What participatory research is
The spectrum of participation
When participatory approaches add the most value
The most common participatory research methods
The real challenges of doing it well
Frequently asked questions
Table of Contents
- 1. What participatory research is
- 2. The spectrum of participation
- 3. When it adds the most value
- 4. Common participatory methods
- 5. Real challenges
- 6. FAQ
- 7. Key tips
1. What Participatory Research Is
Participatory research is an umbrella term for research approaches where community members take active roles in the research process rather than serving only as data sources. The most intensive form, Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR), involves community members as full co-investigators in study design, data collection, analysis, and dissemination.
Less intensive participatory approaches include community member involvement in data collection (as trained interviewers), participatory analysis sessions (where community members help interpret data), and community review of research findings before dissemination.
The core principle: the people closest to the issue have knowledge that outside researchers don't have. According to the Community-Campus Partnerships for Health guidelines on CBPR, participatory research produces findings that are more relevant, more trusted by the community, and more likely to lead to sustained change than traditionally conducted research.
2. The Spectrum of Participation
| Level | What it looks like | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Inform | Sharing findings back with community | Community presentations of results |
| Consult | Seeking input on research questions | Advisory group reviews study design |
| Involve | Community members as data collectors | Trained community interviewers |
| Collaborate | Shared decision-making throughout | Community co-investigators |
| Community-led | Community owns and drives the research | CBPR with external researcher support |
Most nonprofits that describe their work as participatory are operating somewhere in the middle of this spectrum — consulting and involving rather than fully collaborating or community-led. That's legitimate and often appropriate. What matters is being honest about the level of participation and designing it intentionally.
Research done to a community produces data. Research done with a community produces both data and trust.
3. When Participatory Approaches Add the Most Value
When the community has direct experience others don't.
Research on experiences of homelessness, immigration, chronic illness, or discrimination benefits enormously from the involvement of people with direct experience. They know what questions matter, what language is appropriate, and what answers reveal the truth.
When trust is a prerequisite for honest data.
Communities that have historical reasons to be skeptical of researchers often produce more candid data when the research is conducted by people they trust — which may include trained community members, not outside professionals.
When your funder explicitly values it.
An increasing number of foundations — particularly those working in equity, community development, and health equity — explicitly look for participatory elements. According to Candid's 2025 trends in nonprofit funding, funders that score grant proposals on community engagement now represent over 60 percent of total institutional giving.
4. Common Participatory Research Methods
Photovoice:
Participants document their community experiences through photography, then use those images as data in group discussions. Particularly effective for engaging participants who may not be comfortable with written surveys.
Participatory mapping:
Community members map assets, needs, and patterns in their community. Surfaces geographic and spatial knowledge that surveys and interviews often miss.
Community listening sessions with participatory analysis:
Structured listening sessions followed by a session where community members help identify themes and interpret findings. A relatively accessible entry point to participatory practice for most nonprofits.
Peer research:
Trained community members conduct interviews or surveys with their peers. Peer researchers often achieve higher response rates and more candid data than outside researchers, particularly on sensitive topics.
5. The Real Challenges of Doing It Well
Time. Participatory approaches take longer than traditional ones. Relationship-building, training community researchers, and collaborative analysis all require time that fast-paced grant timelines don't always accommodate.
Power dynamics. Saying a process is participatory doesn't make it so. Real participation requires genuine power-sharing: community members should have meaningful influence over research questions, methods, and how findings are used.
Compensation. Community members who contribute to research as more than typical participants should be compensated for their time and expertise. Build this into your research budget from the beginning.
Attribution and ownership. Who owns the data produced through participatory research? Answer these questions before the research begins.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does participatory research produce less rigorous findings?
Not inherently. The rigor standards for participatory research are different from but not lower than those for traditional research: transparent methods, systematic data collection, honest reporting of limitations. The concern about rigor is sometimes a proxy for discomfort with sharing control over the research process.
Can a small nonprofit conduct participatory research?
Yes. Even small organizations can implement meaningful participatory elements. Sharing draft findings with community members for review, forming a small community advisory group, or training two or three community members to conduct peer interviews are all achievable and meaningful.
What do funders look for in participatory research?
Genuine community involvement at the design stage, evidence of power-sharing in the process, and honest reporting of what worked and what was difficult. Funders are increasingly sophisticated about the difference between performative participation and substantive engagement.
Key Tips
Be specific about your level of participation. 'Participatory' means many things. Be honest about whether you're consulting, involving, or genuinely co-designing.
Build relationships before you build the research design.
Compensate community researchers appropriately.
Address power dynamics explicitly before data collection begins.
Plan for a longer timeline.
How Praxia Insights can help
At Praxia Insights, we design and run research that gets to the real answers. Whether you need focus group facilitation, a polished insight brief, or a full research plan built from scratch, we're here for it.
