Welfare Research, Inc

City-funded organization

Welfare Research, Inc, doing business as WRI Solutions, is an Albany, NY nonprofit founded in 1967 with a dual 501(c)(3) and quasi-governmental status that lets it hold administration, evaluation, and technical assistance contracts with state and city human services agencies, including New York State's Office of Children and Family Services and Unified Court System and New York City's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. Its city relationship consists entirely of DOHMH mental health services and workforce contracts, including a current $45 million FY2026 contract (CT181620268801515) to help DOHMH "maintain program and personnel stability" and five earlier, now expired renewal and mandate contracts dating back to 2009 (the largest, a $9.9 million community mental health support and workforce reinvestment renewal, ended in 2025). All $79 million the organization has been awarded by the city since 2009, across all 6 contracts, was awarded without a fresh competitive bid.

Industry (per city contracts)
Human Services
City contracts (active)
$45,146,688 · 1 contract
Awarded all-time
$79,090,961 · 6 since 2009, incl. expired
Paid to date
$36,443,083
Won without a fresh bid
100% of contract value · $79,090,961 · 6 contracts
Top officer pay (FY2024)
$186,842 · Darlene Ward, Executive Director
Based in
Albany, NY (NY State)

Holds contracts at

City contracts

Registered city contracts, largest first by current contract value (not amount spent): running now, then registered to start later, then ended. Totals count every registered contract. Each line shows its Checkbook contract ID. The tag on each row is how it was awarded (“no-bid” = non-competitive).

Officer & key-staff pay

Reportable compensation from this organization's IRS Form 990 (Part VII), latest available filing (FY2024). Includes pay from related organizations where reported; an annual figure, not a running total. Source: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.

Officer pay over time

Total officer pay changed +40% from FY2020 to FY2024. Top-officer reportable compensation by year (org-paid only), with each year's share of total revenue. Source: ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer 990 filings.

Sources