I pivoted my legal assistant career into fundraising and prospect research 22 years ago. Somehow, I’m still in love with the work. Sure, there are brief stints where I fall a little out of love with it, but then I talk to a colleague and we come up with new ideas, or a new tool arrives on the market that shifts how we can perform our work. And I fall in love all over again.
This year for Research Pride month I thought I would share some of my favorite things about Prospect Research Professionals.
Insatiable Learners: When given the opportunity, such as working at a university, researchers do their homework and earn multiple degrees. You might not need a Ph.D. to do prospect research, but I love it that many practitioners have a stack of letters after their names. And if you’re around long enough, you realize that people stumble into the field with those letters already attached, most notably MLIS and JD. How fascinating is that?
Readers and Writers: Karen Osborne and Kate Racculia are more recent examples of fundraising professionals that go seriously all-in to writing. Kate even wrote a novel, Tuesday Mooney Talks to Ghosts, where the protagonist is a prospect research professional! Any mention of authors can’t leave out Cecilia Hogan, who wrote the pioneering text, Prospect Research: A Primer for Growing Nonprofits. And there are so many more books now! Here’s a list of books and bloggers.
Innovators and Change-Makers: Christina Pulawski and John Taylor brought to life the Association for Advancement Services Professionals in 2007 to fill a need in the field. Sharise Harrison was featured in The Chronicle of Philanthropy recently for her groundbreaking work in shifting the culture at her organization to view prospect data differently so as to include more people of color.
People: Sharing a profession with other people is like belonging to a club. For the most part there is a sense of camaraderie and joy in “talking shop” without boring anyone. And there are so many kind, funny, and clever researchers out there. Follow #ProspectResearch on Twitter, join AASP or Apra, attend conferences – connect.
Wishing you another year of continuously falling in love with your work in prospect research!
Additional Resources
- Research Pride: A Common Thread That Binds Us | Patricia (Suzi) Elzie-Tuttle, MLIS | Apra Connections | 3/15/2022 | A wonderful tribute to the prospect research profession with a call to action.
- Prospect Research for Fundraisers: The Essential Handbook | Jennifer Filla and Helen Brown | 2013
- Collection of Prospect Research Books and Bloggers | Prospect Research Institute