Job Summary

The Prospect Research Specialist plays a vital role in our organization's fundraising and development efforts, focusing on the identification and analysis of potential donors to support our strategic objectives. This position involves conducting detailed research and data analysis, maintaining donor databases, and collaborating closely with fundraising teams to provide key insights for donor engagement and strategy formulation. The specialist is expected to uphold ethical research practices and stay informed about industry trends, ensuring our outreach efforts are informed, targeted, and effective.

Job Specific Duties

• Conducts research using various sources and tools to augment existing data on prospects in Raiser’s Edge database.
  
• Conducts detailed prospect research on major and principal gift prospects and prepares written profiles and reports.
  
• Assists in coordinating the identification of hospital patients through daily census and Blackbaud Wealth Management Service and disseminates the file to management.
  
• Updates contact information so prospects have accurate information in Raiser’s Edge database.
  
• Researches, tracks, and systematically reports on business, volunteer, and social relationships. Assigns major gift and principle gift prospects in concert with leader.
  
• Analyzes prospect data to ensure high quality prospects are identified and communicated to leadership and development staff.
  
• Works closely with the Events team and Directors to conduct short research (blurbs) on attendees for all events in a timely and accurate basis for staff.
  
• Maintains proactive identification goals by uncovering high potential prospects through research or database analysis.
  
• Drafts compelling profiles and summaries for potential prospects and current donors so that the fundraisers can create a strategy.
  
• Provides analytical support to the various programs of the Foundation in terms of demographic and analyses.
  
• Provides affinity through research for cultivation and solicitation of prospects giving insight to cultivation.
  
• Assists team in identifying potential prospects by developing prospect lists that incorporate an adequate level of potential giving.
  
• Attends requested community events for the purpose of field research while also promoting the mission, values, and goals of the Foundation.
  
• Gathers, distributes, and updates database information pertaining to prospects/philanthropy through public information sources.
  
• Keeps abreast of trends in the prospect research profession through training in on-line searches, library resource, reading publications, etc.
  
• Researches and creates monthly lists of events in the community for the President of the Foundation to attend.
  
• Continuously assesses validations of records to keep data integrity to date.
  
• Assists in identifying new resources for research, data mining, and electronic screenings.
  
• Researches and interprets philanthropic interests of donors through acquisition and analysis of pertinent annual reports, donor rosters, and other public sources.
  
• Works with data analytics to collect, interpret, and summarize data on prospective and existing donors.
  
• Analyzes wealth assessments and philanthropic information for the purpose of target strategy.
  
• Maintains policies/procedures on research methodologies, processes for evaluating financial capacity, philanthropic affinities, and ensuring the confidentiality and privacy of donor information.
  
• Manages the resource and vendor subscriptions utilized by the Prospect Research Department.
  
• Creates strategies to identify, qualify, and cultivate donors.
  
• Works to identify and qualify donors on a quarterly basis.