Prospect Research - New Career Bootcamp

Here are some sample job advertisements for this type of role:

Senior Associate, Prospect Research, Philanthropic Partnerships

The Pew Charitable Trusts– Washington, DC 20004

Overview

The Pew Charitable Trusts uses data to make a difference. For more than 70 years, we have focused on serving the public, invigorating civic life, conducting nonpartisan research, advancing effective public policies and practices, and achieving tangible results. Through rigorous inquiry and knowledge sharing, we inform and engage public-spirited citizens and organizations, linking diverse interests to pursue common cause. We are a dedicated team of researchers, communicators, advocates, subject matter experts, and professionals working on today’s big challenges and we know we are more effective and creative collectively than we are individually. With Philadelphia as our home town and the majority of our staff located in Washington, DC, our U.S. and international staff find working at Pew personally and professionally rewarding.

Wise stewardship of resources allows Pew employees to pursue work that strategically furthers our philanthropic mission in significant and measurable ways. We collaborate with a diverse range of philanthropic partners, public and private organizations, and concerned citizens who share our interest in fact-based solutions and goal-driven investments to improve society. Pew attracts top talent, people of integrity who are service-oriented and willing to take on challenging assignments. We provide competitive pay and benefits, a healthy worklife balance, and a respectful and inclusive workplace. Pew employees are proud of their colleagues, proud of where they work, and proud of the institution’s reputation.

Philanthropic Partnerships (PPG)

PPG is responsible for identifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding individual and institutional prospects. Pew’s portfolio of work is determined by the programmatic senior vice presidents in consultation with the Pew board of trustees.

Position Overview

The objective of the Prospect Management and Research (PMR) unit within PPG is to advance the development efforts at Pew through strategic, thoughtful, comprehensive management of prospect and donor data as well as research and informed analysis of prospects and potential prospects. The work of this unit is exhibited through donor and prospect profiles, reports, and memos to the Executive Office, Philanthropic Partnerships, program managing directors, the Principal Gifts Committee, and Pew staff.

PMR is responsible for proactively identifying prospects, conducting prospect research, and drafting, implementing, and managing policies and procedures related to research. PMR also provides oversight for the department’s use of the database, including prospect management and tracking as well as reporting on fundraising progress.

We are seeking a collaborative, articulate, and data-oriented professional with a minimum of four years of experience in a nonprofit organization or research institution. The ideal candidate will be familiar with utilizing a wide range of research resources and demonstrate proficiency at translating data and information into written documents. Experience analyzing institutional risk is strongly preferred.

The Senior Associate position is based in Pew’s Washington, DC office and reports to the Associate Manager, Prospect Research. The Senior Associate’s responsibilities will continue to develop in line with PPG’s growth and needs.

Responsibilities

Identify, research, and analyze new prospects and current donors by reviewing and analyzing news media, financial documents, internal files and databases, online donor information systems, and other internal and external resources. Utilize quantitative criteria including income, assets, liabilities, and giving patterns to evaluate each identified prospect’s potential propensity to make a gift and any potential reputational risks.
Draft, review, and edit philanthropic research documents, including background reports, prospect briefings, and biographies. Initiate proactive research as needed. Ensure that briefing materials are appropriate for senior leadership and aligned with institutional strategy and key messages.
Assist with preparations and planning for cultivation and stewardship events by developing guest profiles.
Complete complex projects under minimal supervision, including performing project management duties.
Analyze, segment, and create reports from wealth screening information.
Share best practices and provide training to colleagues. Review research products prepared by team members.
Participate fully in Pew’s intranet and Salesforce constituent relationship management (CRM) systems as they pertain to PPG and prospect research.
Thoroughly understand Pew and how it operates; develop a comprehensive knowledge of its history, culture, programs, and base of financial support.
Adhere to recognized fundraising and research ethics policies and standards.
Other responsibilities in support of the Philanthropic Partnerships team, as needed.

Requirements

A bachelor’s degree required. Skills associated with the completion of a graduate degree preferred.
A minimum of four years of professional experience required. Experience in a nonprofit organization and with donor research required.
Knowledge and understanding of the development/fundraising/relationship building cycle and where prospect research fits within that cycle.
Strong written skills (including editing and proofreading). Ability to understand Pew’s mission and to develop complex written materials to summarize the essence of a prospect. High level of attention to detail, particularly with names, financial data, and biographical details. Ability to double-check work for accuracy and quality.
Demonstrated strong research and analytical skills. Ability to investigate an issue, ask thoughtful questions, and recommend possible solutions. Ability to build a logical approach to address problems by drawing on own knowledge and experience or by seeking other references or resources as appropriate.
Creative and strategic thinker. Ability to think outside the box, challenge conventional norms, and try new approaches, particularly in prospect identification as Pew does not have a natural constituency.
Ability to develop strong working relationships and facilitate communication among colleagues.
Self-disciplined, action-oriented style. Ability to prioritize tasks to meet deadlines. Strong work ethic.
Sound judgment and discretion in handling and securing confidential information and adhering to professional ethics.
Ability to assess potential reputational risks presented by prospective donors and possession of sound judgment about when to notify leadership to potential concerns or problems.
Ability to understand organizational structure and work through administrative systems.
Demonstrated proficiency in the use of office software (Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook) and research databases such as Nexis for Development Professionals, WealthEngine, and Factiva. Ability to learn new prospect and donor technology used at Pew, including Salesforce, if not already familiar.

Assistant Director, Prospect Research

City of Hope – Irwindale, CA

About City of Hope

City of Hope, an innovative biomedical research, treatment and educational institution with over 6,000 employees, is dedicated to the prevention and cure of cancer and other life-threatening diseases and guided by a compassionate, patient-centered philosophy.

Founded in 1913 and headquartered in Duarte, California, City of Hope is a remarkable non-profit institution, where compassion and advanced care go hand-in-hand with excellence in clinical and scientific research. City of Hope is a National Cancer Institute designated Comprehensive Cancer Center and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, an alliance of the nation’s leading cancer centers that develops and institutes standards of care for cancer treatment.

City of Hope’s mission is to “turn hope into reality.” Focused on eliminating cancer, diabetes and other life-threatening illnesses, City of Hope has established itself as a world-class leader in transforming the future of health. Raising the philanthropic resources to fuel its leading-edge research, its exquisite and compassionate clinical care, and its advancement of biomedical education and training, is a vital component of the City of Hope model of success. Each member of the Office of Philanthropy is a stakeholder in this work, with personal accountability for his/her role in building a successful future of delivering new cures, treatments and education.

The Office of Philanthropy’s vision is to support this life-saving work by being known institutionally and nationally as a model of excellence among elite fundraising programs. Recent recruitments of nationally and internationally renowned faculty offer advancement leaders new opportunity for partnership among philanthropy, research and patient care.

To this end, we invest in our staff through the Team Activation Program (TAP) initiative. This initiative increases the effectiveness of our team through focused transparency & accountability, building trust within teams; training & development; celebrating innovation & risk taking; enhancing team communications and removing roadblocks to maximize activation. The TAP initiative ensures that the Office of Philanthropy is poised to move quickly, effectively and efficiently to maximize opportunities on behalf of City of Hope.

Position Summary

This position is part of City of Hope’s Prospect Development Office under the Prospect Management & Research department within the Office of Philanthropy, and reports to the Director of Strategic Research. This position will work closely with colleagues on the Prospect Development team within Philanthropy and External Relations as a whole, and, as appropriate, with the broader City of Hope community as we seek philanthropic support to fulfill City of Hope’s bold mission.

Through prospect identification, research, data acquisition, and analysis, the Assistant Director deepens City of Hope’s institutional knowledge of its prospects by playing a vital role in helping the Office of Philanthropy meet its goals for prospecting, fundraising, engagement, communications, and stewardship. The Assistant Director assists the Director to develop and implement best practices in support of a sophisticated, state-of-the-art prospect research shop. The Assistant Director helps ensure that all research is consistently produced, is of the highest quality, and meets philanthropy staff’s needs for strategic planning.

Key Responsibilities include:

Proactively identify, research, and analyze new and existing donors and prospects for gift cultivation; refer unassigned prospects to prospect management for assignment to gift officers
Interpret and analyze biographical and financial information on individuals, corporations and foundations, based on fundraising strategies and objectives
Respond in a timely manner to all research inquiries which may include financial assets, potential for philanthropic support, business and professional affiliations, areas of interest and other affiliations
Partner with fundraisers and staff to provide timely, accurate, and analytical information to inform the fundraising process; participate in prospect review meetings as needed and help develop fundraising strategies
Build out constituent records in CRM with information gleaned from research; ensure all records with research ratings have information in the following fields: business, education, notes, gifts to other organizations, relationships, demographic codes, etc.
Work collaboratively and provide support as needed to the prospect management team
Assist in the implementation of office-wide policies and procedures that assist in the efficient management and coordination of all activities related to prospect research.
Work collaboratively with the Director in preparing current and long-range program plans and operational goals in cooperation with the short- and long-term strategic plan.
Acting as spokesperson for City of Hope activities as requested.
Participating in search committees, task forces and other special projects.
Demonstrating an ability to solve problems, overcome hurdles, and navigate sensitive issues with discretion, tact and strong communication skills.
Developing and maintaining productive relationships with City of Hope faculty and staff to support fundraising initiatives for COH priorities.
Possessing thorough knowledge of the key fund-raising priorities for COH.
Ensuring that prospect management and research products meet the highest standards of analysis and factual accuracy; proof/edit materials produced for distribution while maintaining scrupulous attention to matters of discretion and confidentiality.
Ensuring department compliance with HIPAA and other federally and State required data policies/best practices.
Supporting the establishment and implementation of best practices for data-driven prospect management across all divisions and units in the Office of Philanthropy.
Providing a high level of service to all relevant teams and work collaboratively to meet City of Hope goals.
Keeping informed of latest innovations in prospect research and determine their applicability/ usefulness to our work at City of Hope.

Qualifications
Basic education, experience and skills required for consideration:

Must have a Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent combination of experience and training.
Must have at least 3 years of experience in direct prospect research, tracking, data analysis, or related field or a combination of institutional development experience, preferably within an academic, medical, or major research institution.

Preferred education experience and skills:

Microsoft Office
Blackbaud CRM
Demonstrated ability to work independently, set priorities, and complete projects within specified timeframes
Experience researching companies and foundations
Ability to deal with confidential matters with tact and sensitivity
Ability to work well under the pressure of deadlines, be able to handle several projects simultaneously, and be able to shift priorities as needed.
Impeccable attention to detail.
Strong self-motivation, initiative in follow up, problem solving skills, and a drive to meet set goals.
Ability to locate and interpret financial and biographical information from a variety of sources.
Demonstrated familiarity with industry-standard sources of data (e.g. LexisNexis, iWave/Dun & Bradstreet, Foundation Directory Online, Guidestar).
Excellent organizational skills.
Sound judgment and decision making.
A cooperative, collegial, and team oriented attitude.

Development Prospect Research Coordinator

Weill Cornell Medicine– New York, NY

Locates, assesses, interprets, disseminates and directs information about major gift donor prospects and other VIPs, friends, and representatives of the Medical Center in the service of institutional advancement and securing private philanthropy for the Medical College.

Job Responsibilities

Analyzes patterns of giving and characteristics of current donor pool including demographic data; employment information; levels of involvement; giving history amount, frequency, level vs. expectation, etc.
Creates and regularly disseminates resources to keep leadership and colleagues apprised of institutional, donor prospect, and medical news with relevance to fundraising.
Develops and adheres to ethics and confidentiality policies so that researchers are in compliance with industry standards, federal regulations (e.g. HIPAA), institutional guidelines, and department policies.
Educates frontline fundraising personnel about role of advancement research, builds partnership with gift officers to grow institutional memory, and promotes professional status of advancement research.
Enters and updates biographical information on donor database. Assists in data verification and quality control. Maintains comprehensive files on donors, prospects, subjects/medical departments, fundraising projects, and campaign initiatives.
Makes recommendations on prospect’s gift capacity and likelihood ratings; assists solicitors in formulating “ask” amount and strategy.
Produces specialized research targeted to prospect portfolios and develops solicitations strategies. Identifies funding projects and recommends solicitors.
Researches high net worth individuals, donor prospects, alumni, board candidates, private companies, and public corporations. Assesses their philanthropic interests, giving capacity, propensity, and readiness.
Trains and orients new gift officers about prospect research through formal and informal approaches.
Uses print, electronic, and Internet-based methods to pursue research, and collect facts, and filters through the lens of fundraising. Identifies and evaluates new research tools to remain continually up-to-date with products and services.

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in related field

Experience

Approximately two years relevant experience. Knowledge of, and experience with donor database programs such as BBEC, Raiser’s Edge, BENefactor is desired.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

Ability to think critically, assess, and synthesize information.
Strong writing skills and attention to detail.
Intellectual curiosity and resourcefulness in pursuing knowledge.
Expertise required with donor research methodology and practice, including wealth indicators, moves management, and data analysis.
Proven ability to responsibly handle confidential and sensitive information and abide by ethics standards and privacy policies.
Demonstrated ability to independently coordinate production of projects accurately and on deadline.
Knowledge of general principles of major gifts fundraising.
Proven ability to work collegially and collaboratively and to work effectively under deadline.
Experience with advancement research or working in a development office.
Proficiency with fundraising databases such as BBEC or Raiser’s Edge and with a broad range of research tools.
Strong Microsoft Office Suite skills.

Licenses and Certifications

Working Conditions/Physical Demands

Must be comfortable working in an open-space workplace setting.

Weill Cornell Medicine is a comprehensive academic medical center that’s committed to excellence in patient care, scientific discovery, and the education of future physicians in New York City and around the world. Our doctors and scientists-faculty from Weill Cornell Medical College, Weill Cornell Graduate School of Medical Sciences, and the Weill Cornell Physician Organization-are engaged in world-class clinical care and cutting-edge research that connect patients to the latest treatment innovations and prevention strategies. Located in the heart of the Upper East Side’s scientific corridor, Weill Cornell Medicine’s powerful network of collaborators extends to its parent university Cornell University; to Qatar, where an international campus offers a U.S. medical degree; and to programs in Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Our medical practices serve communities throughout New York City, and our faculty provide comprehensive care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Lower Manhattan Hospital, and NewYork-Presbyterian/Queens. At Weill Cornell Medicine, we work together to treat each individual, not just their conditions or illnesses, as we strive to deliver the finest possible care for our patients – the center of everything we do. Weill Cornell Medicine is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer. Weill Cornell Medicine provides equal employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, color, age, religion, protected veteran or disability status, or genetic information.