Director, Prospect Development and Research

Job Summary

Reporting to the Senior Director of Advancement Services and in partnership with Senior Leadership, the Director of Prospect Development & Research oversees the identification, research, and analysis of potential donors, developing comprehensive strategies for managing donor relationships. By ensuring the effective use of data analytics, the Director informs and enhances fundraising strategies, contributing to pipeline development across all areas. Leading a dedicated team of two full-time staff, this role ensures the creation of robust gift officer portfolios aligned with institutional priorities and adapts to emerging priorities mid-cycle. Oversees the development of event and travel briefings for Senior Leadership and the President, conducting due diligence research for major and principal donors, and establishing institutional policies and database practices. Through these efforts, the Director transforms data into actionable insights, maximizing operational effectiveness and driving the institution’s philanthropic success.

Job Duties

Prospect Pipeline Building and Management

Define and document the criteria for strong prospects through analysis, staff consultations, and organizational knowledge.
Support the development of a fundraising strategy for the maturation of the prospect development pipeline – from engagement to annual fund giving through major gifts and planned giving. Lead prospect strategy, portfolio review, and moves management meetings with fundraisers to ensure comprehensive qualification efforts and healthy portfolio churn.
Develop and implement orientation and ongoing training sessions for the prospect management program. Determine and document relationship management data standards, ensuring consistency in data recording, searching, exporting, and policy governance.
Partner with the donor relations team to develop and implement effective stewardship strategies to align stewardship activities with overall fundraising strategies and goals.
In collaboration with the AVP of Individual Giving and Senior Director of Advancement Services, operationalize the annual work plan process for fundraising teams and individual gift officers to meet fundraising goals across teams and priorities
Oversee the development and documentation of gift officer metrics, and the creation of reports and dashboards that provide real-time insights into portfolio performance.
Develop and deploy an annual leadership-giving prospect pool initiative.
Collaborate with senior IA leadership to refine the definitions and metrics of fundraising and gift officer success, coordinating the development of necessary reports to monitor activity and outcomes.
Run monthly Prospect Management Meetings with the fundraising team.

Prospect Development Policy, Database Management, and Analytics

Develop and implement institutional policies and procedures for prospect development and management, ensuring alignment with best practices and organizational goals. This includes setting standards for data entry, prospect tracking, and reporting to ensure consistency, accuracy, and compliance across the team.
Serve as a subject matter expert in database management and analytics, building and documenting the database to support prospect development in partnership with the Manager, Salesforce Administration, and Senior Director of Advancement Services.
Oversee data hygiene practices for prospect research data points. Utilize prospect screening tools to ensure appropriate portfolio composition for all gift officers, collaborating with IA leaders to grow portfolio coverage.
Audit and develop a research tool procurement and utilization strategy, ensuring the effective use of prospect development and research vendors. Develop a roadmap for prospect development and portfolio management applications in Salesforce, in partnership with advancement services leadership. Deploy advanced data visualizations and predictive models to assist gift officers and enhance fundraising efforts.
Utilize tools within the Salesforce ecosystem, such as CRM Analytics (formerly Tableau), to create dynamic dashboards and reports that provide actionable insights and support strategic decision-making in prospect identification and donor engagement.

Campaign Planning

Support campaign readiness activities related to prospect research, including conducting comprehensive feasibility studies to assess the potential and readiness for campaign initiatives. As the College transitions into the next comprehensive campaign, support the development of priority-specific prospect pools and conduct in-depth research to identify and qualify potential donors, ensuring alignment with campaign objectives.
Leverage advanced tools within the Salesforce ecosystem—such as Education Cloud, CRM Analytics (formerly Tableau), and iWave for Salesforce—to enhance prospect research capabilities and optimize campaign planning and execution.

Prospect Screening, Data Analysis and Briefings

Oversee prospect evaluation and analysis methodology, conduct routine checks, and deploy updated methodologies annually. Streamline processes for briefing requests and deliverables, ensuring high-quality and comprehensive requests for events, gift officer travel, presidential and board requests, and gift review committees.
Conduct due diligence background checks on potential donors to ensure alignment with the institution's mission and culture, and to mitigate any potential risks.

Supervision

Manage the prospect development and research team which includes two full-time staff and a part-time student employee. Stay current with trends, best practices, and ethical standards in the field of prospect development and research by actively engaging with professional organizations such as APRA and CASE.
Adhere to the APRA Code of Ethics to ensure all prospect development activities are conducted with integrity and professionalism.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in liberal arts, mathematics, data analytics, research, or related fields.
Seven years of experience in prospect research, donor cultivation, or related roles in higher education, nonprofit, or philanthropic institutions.
One year of team management experience.
Two years of experience in fundraising strategies, donor relations, and CRM systems.
Proficiency in data analytics and CRM systems.
Strong project management skills.
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Ability to work independently and prioritize tasks effectively.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office and other relevant software.
Ability to lead, train, and develop staff effectively.

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Director, Prospect Development and Research