Tag Archives: major gifts fundraising

Blinker Alert: Research is Changing Lanes

Careers, Research in Fundraising, , , , , , , ,

If you want to support fundraising major gifts work, but you don’t want to be the person asking for gifts, you couldn’t get a better job than prospect research. Whether you become a generalist or a specialist, there is no end to the interesting variety of tasks and information you are exposed to. But blinker alert! Research is changing lanes. Is everyone ready?

I had the privilege of attending the Apra Great Plains conference recently and I was incredibly impressed with the innovative work their members have been implementing with great success. And it has to do with shifting lanes.

If you want to understand the variety of work, it’s easy to break it down into work types: prospect research, prospect management, and fundraising analytics. Although one person can fulfill all of these roles in one position, in larger and more complex organizations the work often evolves into these three specialized areas.

But it wasn’t area of specialty or advanced specialty skills that seemed to be driving the success of Apra Great Plains members. It appeared to be a lane shift into a new role – that of prospect strategy partner.

Trending: Lane Shifts

In the right hand (slow) lane, you have research performing administrative tasks. This is where research is directed to perform certain tasks that mostly involve gathering, presenting, and pulling reports on information.

Shift one lane to the left, and research steps into accountability coach. In this role research is gathering, presenting, and pulling reports on information – but also translating that information into actionable items. For example, profiles that recommend a prospect cultivation or solicitation approach and providing active portfolio management that identifies problems and opportunities instead of rote, line-by-line data entry checks.

Shift another lane to the left – into the fast lane – and research becomes the prospect strategy partner. This is what I witnessed a lot of at Apra Great Plains.

As a prospect strategy partner, research is doing things like:

  • Expressing the current state of work in terms of outcomes – not counting tasks.
  • Collaborating with leadership and major gifts and making decisions based on carefully tracked, accurate data.
  • Providing services, not products, which build client relationships so that you understand current needs and successes, instead of waiting to be told.
  • Persisting and refining for years to discover additional “truths” as more data accumulates and relationships deepen.

What can you do to put your blinker on and signal that you want to shift lanes?

Begin by asking lots of questions, of yourself and the larger team.

  • If I deliver what you are asking for, what will you do with it?
  • Where can I have the most impact?
  • Can I have a quick meeting with you to find out what’s on the horizon this quarter?
  • I know I am not your boss, but I see by your metrics that you are struggling. How can I help you?
  • It was exciting to hear how you want the team to do XYZ. How can I help support these changes?

Becoming a partner means taking responsibility for your role, even if no-one is asking you to step up. Instead of blaming others for the department missing its fundraising goals, you take responsibility. Did you really identify the best prospects? How could you more actively help development officers manage their portfolios?

Becoming a prospect strategy partner is all about solving problems. You are the consultant assessing what is happening now, crafting a plan to reach where you want to go, and persuading others to take action.

If you want to use your blinker and signal to change lanes to become a strategy partner, join your local/favorite Apra Chapter or become a Research Assets Member at the Prospect Research Institute with access to 30+ upcoming and past workshops as well as monthly group coaching calls where you bring your questions and connect with your peers, and me, Jen Filla.

And start asking more questions!

Additional Resources