Norton Policy & Analytics
Research. Strategy. Evaluation.
Norton Policy & Analytics helps public agencies, nonprofits, foundations, and financial institutions, answer complex questions through rigorous research, strategic analysis, and practical evaluation.
Expertise spans housing, community development, public policy, philanthropy, and mission-driven investment. Our work helps organizations generate evidence, strengthen strategy, and improve decision-making.
Our Services
We help public agencies, nonprofits, foundations, financial institutions, and mission-driven organizations answer complex questions through research, strategy, and evaluation.
Research &
Market Intelligence
Market analysis, policy research, spatial analytics, and data-driven insights to inform investment, planning, and decision-making.
Typical engagements
Market analysis
Needs assessments
Policy research
Spatial analytics
Research: What is happening?
Strategy &
Technical Assistance
Research-informed planning, facilitation, stakeholder engagement, and implementation support for organizations and collaboratives.
Typical engagements
Strategic planning
Stakeholder engagement
Facilitation
Technical assistance
Strategy: What should we do?
Evaluation &
Learning
Mixed-method evaluations, impact assessment, and evidence generation to strengthen programs, investments, and organizational learning.
Typical engagements
Program evaluation
Impact measurement
Learning strategies
Mixed-methods research
Evaluation: Did it make a difference?
Selected Work
A selection of representative engagements spanning housing, community development, philanthropy, public policy, and strategic evaluation. The following projects highlight selected research, evaluation, and strategic advisory work led or conducted by Michael Norton, primarily during his tenure at Reinvestment Fund. They illustrate the experience and capabilities that inform Norton Policy & Analytics' work today.
Research & Market Intelligence
Reinvestment Fund
Housing Finance · Market Analysis · Public Policy
Led quantitative analyses of racial disparities in mortgage lending across multiple U.S. cities. These studies identified persistent barriers to conventional mortgage access and identified policy recommendations to expand equitable homeownership opportunities.
Deliverables:
Mortgage Lending Philadelphia: Key Take-Aways from the Release of the 2022 Home Mortgage Disclosure Act Data Release
Exploring Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Mortgage Access Across Metro Atlanta
What’s Driving Post-Pandemic Black-White Mortgage Gaps? A Spotlight on 10 Southeastern Cities
Appalachia Funders Network
Economic Development · Market Analysis · Spatial Analysis
Led a regional research initiative examining the relationships between socioeconomic well-being, community assets, and investment opportunities across Central Appalachia. Developed a multidimensional analytical framework to identify geographic disparities, assess local assets and capacities, and inform coordinated philanthropic and community investment strategies.
Deliverables:
View the Community Asset Scan
Additional Partners: City of Philadelphia • City of Pittsburgh • Allegheny County, PA • City of Baltimore • City of Kansas City, MO • Arapahoe County, CO • City of Cleveland • City of Akron • City of Bethlehem, PA • City of Allentown, PA • Eastgate Regional Council of Governments (OH) • Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency • Wells Fargo Foundation • Appalachian Funders Network • Virginia Early Childhood Foundation • Housing Equality Center of Pennsylvania
Strategy & Technical Assistance
NeighborWorks America
Community Development · Technical Assistance · Stakeholder Engagement
Provided research and technical assistance to NeighborWorks network organizations nationwide, helping local housing providers use market analysis, community engagement, and strategic planning to strengthen affordable housing initiatives and secure new funding.
Allentown Economic Development Corporation
Economic Development · Strategic Planning · Stakeholder Engagement
Served as lead implementation partner for Allentown Works, a cross-sector initiative to reconnect unemployed prime-age adults with the local economy. Developed data-driven implementation and performance measurement systems, and coordinated operationalization of implementation responsibilities for over a dozen cross-sector partners working to reconnect residents to the regional economy.
Deliverable:
Allentown Works
Additional Partners:
Indiana Neighborhood Housing Partnership • Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership • The Well CDC - Akron, OH • Habitat for Humanity - Paterson, NJ • Parkside Business & Community in Partnership - Camden, NJ • Robert Wood Johnson Foundation • Wells Fargo Regional Foundation • US Department of Housing and Urban Development • Reinvestment Fund
Evaluation & Learning
Heinz Endowments
Community Development · Impact Measurement · Mixed-Methods
Designed and co-led evaluation and learning strategies for major place-based investments, helping funders understand impact, improve implementation, and strengthen long-term decision-making.
Deliverable:
Can A Neighborhood Experience Redevelopment Without Displacement: The Hazelwood Story
Case Western Reserve – Center of Poverty and Community Development
Community Development · Impact Measurement · Mixed Methods
Led a mixed-methods impact assessment of a decade-plus of scattered-site Low Income Housing Tax Credit development in West Philadelphia.
Deliverable:
Achieving Durable Mixed-Income Communities through Affordable Housing Preservation: A Successful Model of Scattered-Site Housing Redevelopment in West Philadelphia
Additional Partners:
William Penn Foundation • Institute for Museum and Library Services • US Department of Housing and Urban Development • City of Philadelphia • Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency • Capital One • Reinvestment Fund
Project LIFT: Evaluation of a Comprehensive School Reform Initiative
Program Evaluation · Impact Measurement · Mixed Methods
Led a longitudinal, mixed-methods evaluation of Project LIFT, a $55 million public-private initiative designed to improve educational outcomes across nine schools in Charlotte-Mecklenburg. The evaluation examined implementation, student achievement, school climate, and early warning indicators, integrating qualitative research with longitudinal student data and comparison-school analyses to assess program implementation, outcomes, and inform ongoing decision-making.
Deliverable:
View the Year Three Evaluation Report
Philadelphia's Renaissance Schools Initiative: Evaluation of a Districtwide School Turnaround Strategy
Program Evaluation · Quasi-Experimental Analysis · Implementation Research
Co-led an evaluation of Philadelphia's Renaissance Schools Initiative, a districtwide reform effort targeting 13 chronically low-performing schools. Integrated comparative analyses of student achievement and attendance with qualitative case studies of school leadership, instructional practices, and implementation. Examined differences between district-operated and charter-managed turnaround models, identifying early outcomes, implementation challenges, and lessons for future school improvement efforts.
Deliverable:
View the 18-Month Interim Report
Additional Work & Resources - Additional examples of research, evaluation, and strategy work conducted independently and in collaboration with partner organizations.
Housing & Community Development
Evaluation & Learning
Understanding the Social Wellbeing Impacts of the Nation’s Libraries and Museums
Strengthening Networks, Sparking Change: Museums and Libraries as Community Catalysts
Guaranteed Resources Optimize Wellbeing: Evaluating a Cash Transfer Program in Philadelphia
Data, Markets & Investment
About
Michael H. Norton, Ph.D., helps organizations answer complex questions involving housing, community development, capital investment, and public policy through rigorous research, evaluation, and strategy. His work has supported public agencies, nonprofit organizations, foundations, financial institutions, and national intermediaries seeking to better understand markets, evaluate programs, deploy capital effectively, and improve decision-making through evidence.
For nearly two decades, I've worked alongside foundations, community development organizations, financial institutions, and public agencies to help translate data into better decisions. My career continues to be grounded in a simple belief:
Better evidence leads to better decisions.
Collaborators
Norton Policy & Analytics works with experienced researchers, planners, and mission-driven organizations to build teams tailored to individual projects.
Jonathan Stanley
Senior Collaborator — Housing & Community Development
Jonathan collaborates with Norton Policy & Analytics on housing, community development, and municipal policy engagements. Based in Saint Paul, he brings extensive experience in housing and economic development, development finance, and local policy implementation. His work with NPA focuses on housing strategy, municipal implementation, stakeholder engagement, and translating policy recommendations into practical action.
Atria Planning
Collaborating Firm — Housing, Planning & Analytics
Norton Policy & Analytics partners with Atria Planning on selected housing and community-development engagements requiring specialized housing-market analysis, GIS, planning, and community engagement expertise.
Research for Action
Collaborating Firm — Applied Research & Evaluation
Norton Policy & Analytics collaborates with Research for Action on applied research and evaluation projects, particularly in education, early childhood, and community-based initiatives. These collaborations combine rigorous quantitative and qualitative research with an emphasis on producing evidence that practitioners and policymakers can use.
Start a Conversation
Whether you're exploring a new initiative, designing an evaluation, or trying to answer difficult program or policy questions, I'd welcome the opportunity to talk. NPA also partners with consulting firms, research organizations, and independent practitioners seeking specialized analytical capacity, evaluation expertise, or support for complex, multidisciplinary engagements.
Typical engagements include:
• Market and policy research
• Strategic planning
• Program evaluation
• Capital deployment and funding strategy
Direct email: mike@nortonpolicy.com
