Development for PhDs

Prospect researchers, also known as “advancement researchers” or “development researchers,” typically work in the charitable sector or in higher education advancement. Prospect researchers work in partnership with frontline fundraisers, utilizing research methodologies and strategic processes to identify, assess, and qualify prospective donors. They provide information and action recommendations that inform fundraisers’ decision-making and strategies for engaging with prospective donors, ultimately helping to drive the revenue goals of the fundraising organization.

Prospect researchers will assess individuals, corporations, and granting foundations for “major giving capacity,” which refers to donors who have the capacity to make a large, transformational gift to the fundraising organization. Using a variety of resources, including public records, business and financial publications, and internet databases, prospect researchers evaluate a prospect’s propensity, affinity, and capacity to give. Propensity refers to a prospect’s inclination to make a charitable donation and is typically determined by examining a prospect’s past donation history or non-profit board involvement. Affinity is a prospect’s connection to the mission of the fundraising organization and can also be determined by analyzing the prospect’s patterns of giving to organizations with a similar mission. Finally, capacity refers to a prospect’s financial ability to give and can be evaluated through wealth indicators such as real estate holdings, business ownership, and compensation. Prospect researchers may also look for information on the prospect’s existing relationships to board members of the fundraising organization or other personal information that can help personalize outreach.

The goal of this task is to create a research profile, which is a document that contains information on a prospective donor’s propensity, affinity, and capacity indicators. Typically a confidential internal document, a research profile is designed to be a summary or briefing note for a fundraiser to review. After reviewing the research profile, the fundraiser will then use the information to determine the next steps in strategic engagement with a prospective donor. Outside of individual donors, corporations can also be identified as prospects for corporate philanthropy and sponsorship. These major corporate gifts can have transformational impacts on nonprofit organizations and the causes they support.