Essentials for Successful Fundraising Research

COURSE

Learn to support the fundraising office with research!

ENROLL TODAY!

Essentials for Fundraising Research

Learn to support the fundraising office with research!

I'M INTERESTED! TELL ME MORE

Do you get tasked to "research that?"

Wish you could add some key research skills to your fundraising best practices toolkit?

Imagine the next time you get asked to pull a list of people from the database for an event and you suggest different report criteria that results in double the amount of sponsorships? How awesome would that be? Well, that really happened to one of our participants!

You have the intelligence to research – you just need help pulling it all together. You won’t regret adding prospect research skills to your resume, either. Prospect research skills are in hot demand, whether you are a fundraising generalist or seeking a prospect research career. Hundreds of job postings are active at any given time — both brand new positions and to fill vacancies as skilled researchers are lured into leadership positions.

Do you provide general support for the fundraising office? Do you get tasked to "research that?"

Wish you could add some key research skills to your fundraising best practices toolkit?

This on-demand course teaches you how to identify good prospects, perform profile research, and track prospects using prospect management techniques. It’s based on the techniques I have used providing prospect research to organizations for more than a decade. A lot has changed over the years and in this course, I share with you how I’ve given the fundraisers I work with an information edge.

Imagine the next time you get asked to pull a list of people from the database for an event and you suggest different report criteria that results in double the amount of sponsorships? How awesome would that be? Well, that really happened to one of our participants!

You have the intelligence to research – you just need help pulling it all together. You won’t regret adding prospect research skills to your resume, either. Prospect research skills are in hot demand, whether you are a fundraising generalist or seeking a prospect research career. Hundreds of job postings are active at any given time — both brand new positions and to fill vacancies as skilled researchers are lured into leadership positions.

This course teaches you how to build a prospect profile with simple search techniques – step by step.

Imagine the next time you pull together information about a prospect for a front-line fundraiser and she stops you in the hall and tells you how valuable it was and asks you for advice on her cultivation strategy. How cool would that be?

You have the intelligence – you just need to know the what, where and how.

Past students have transformed how they find and communicate prospect information, including changing their profile format for an easier read and sharing their insights about the information with the front-line fundraiser.

What You'll Learn

This on-demand course teaches you how to identify good prospects, perform profile research, and track prospects using prospect management techniques. It’s based on the techniques I have used providing prospect research to organizations for more than a decade. A lot has changed over the years and in this course, I share with you how I’ve given the fundraisers I work with an information edge.

ENROLL TODAY!

Find information in five distinct areas that are relevant for fundraising.
Create your own prospect profile.
Quickly locate key sources of public information.
Become a search engine power user.
Identify which information sources are the most reliable.
Get savvy about different profile strategies for different needs.
Translate information into fundraising action.

What's Included?

MODULE ONE

Research In Fundraising
- Discover the role research plays in fundraising
- Explore donor motivations for giving
- Connect fundraising data to donor motivations
In this module, you’ll be asked to complete the following assignments:
- Homework | Donor Gift Cycle and Giving Motivations
- Capstone #1 | Solve a fundraising problem with the analytical approach
MODULE THREE

Research Tools & Info Accuracy
- Employ strategies to choose a research tool
- Evaluate information sources with the CRAAP test
- Value donor privacy and ethical research
In this module, you’ll be asked to complete the following assignments:
- Homework | Reflection on ethics and accurate information
MODULE FIVE

Prospect Management
- Learn the pieces of prospect management
- Define major gifts
- Consider your approach to tracking in the database
In this module, you’ll be asked to complete the following assignments:
- Homework | Major gift worksheet Compare and Contrast
- Capstone #4 | The Pieces of Prospect Management

MODULE TWO

Prospect Profiles
- Learn the five building blocks of the profile
- Consider different search strategies for different profile levels
- Differentiate between internet search and direct search
- Evaluate your work as a best practice
In this module, you’ll be asked to complete the following assignments:
- Homework | Create an event bio
- Capstone #2 | Create your own profile
MODULE FOUR

Prospect Identification
- Learn prospect identification with giving information
- Apply RFM Scoring to prioritize donors
- Implement prospect identification
In this module, you’ll be asked to complete the following assignments:
- Homework | Avoiding analysis paralysis and Practice RFM
- Capstone #3 | Data mining for good prospects
BONUS RESOURCES
- Essentials for Successful Fundraising Research Textbook
- Starting your research with DonorSearch and iWave
- Clever Tips for Navigating the Internet
- Prospect Research #ChatBytes #CareerCurious series

ENROLL TODAY!

What will I learn from taking this course?

In this course you will...

Find information in five distinct areas that are relevant for fundraising.
Create your own prospect profile.
Quickly locate key sources of public information.
Become a search engine power user.
Identify which information sources are the most reliable.
Get savvy about different profile strategies for different needs.
Translate information into fundraising action.

I WANT THIS NOW!

What Students Are Saying

“I absolutely loved this course and found it just the right amount of challenging to get me thinking outside of the box. I really enjoy the opportunities for us to use our own database for assignments. The example profiles that were given for assignments were great examples for someone who has never seen a profile before.”

Student

“The prospect identification information was easy to understand – I can see how I can put it into practice in my own work environment!”

Student

More Than Lectures
Get Hands-On Experience

Design and construct a prospect profile for use in fundraising

Using a template that you can adapt for your organization, you will learn to find key information for fundraising and present it so that your development officer can take action.

Apply the fundamentals of prospect management to your organization

The best fundraisers need to track relationships in the database to grow. You learn how to translate actions into well-defined tracking and reporting.

Identify prospects from ratings and other key data points

There is no magic wand to identify great prospects. You learn how to leverage the tools and data available to you to routinely identify prospects for your organization.

Earn your digital badge and certificate of competency

By successfully completing your capstone assignments, you demonstrate that you are competent in creating prospect research profiles. The digital badge provides this detail to anyone that clicks on it.

2

Video Hours

6

Bonus Downloads

5

Modules

12

Coaching Calls

ENROLL TODAY!

Design and construct a prospect profile for use in fundraising

Using a template that you can adapt for your organization, you will learn to find key information for fundraising and present it so that your development officer can take action.

Judge and evaluate the authenticity and relevance of search results

There's nothing new about "fake news," but the internet has made it even easier to fool people. Learn how to find and evaluate reliable and accurate sources.

Become a search engine "power-user" by using advanced search techniques

All of us use internet search every day, but becoming a power user means leveraging new skills and techniques to find more information, acquire better details, and get things done faster.

Earn your digital badge and certificate of competency

By successfully completing your capstone assignment, you demonstrate that you are competent in creating prospect research profiles. The digital badge provides this detail to anyone that clicks on it.

Testimonials

See what a few of our students have to say after taking our course...

“I absolutely loved this course and found it just the right amount of challenging to get me thinking outside of the box. I really enjoy the opportunities for us to use our own database for assignments. The example profiles that were given for assignments were great examples for someone who has never seen a profile before.”

Student

“The prospect identification information was easy to understand – I can see how I can put it into practice in my own work environment!”

Student

Watch this video for a sneak peek behind the login screen.

Want to reach your Prospect Research Goals faster?

Take a quick peek, and discover why you should enroll in the Essentials for Sucessful Fundraising Research Course...

What's Included?

MODULE ONE

Research In Fundraising
- Discover the role research plays in fundraising
- Explore donor motivations for giving
- Connect fundraising data to donor motivations
In this module, you’ll be asked to complete the following assignments:
- Homework | Donor Gift Cycle and Giving Motivations
- Capstone #1 | Solve a fundraising problem with the analytical approach
MODULE TWO

Prospect Profiles
- Learn the five building blocks of the profile
- Consider different search strategies for different profile levels
- Differentiate between internet search and direct search
- Evaluate your work as a best practice
In this module, you’ll be asked to complete the following assignments:
- Homework | Create an event bio
- Capstone #2 | Create your own profile
MODULE THREE

Research Tools & Info Accuracy
- Employ strategies to choose a research tool
- Evaluate information sources with the CRAAP test
- Value donor privacy and ethical research
In this module, you’ll be asked to complete the following assignments:
- Homework | Reflection on ethics and accurate information
MODULE FOUR

Prospect Identification
- Learn prospect identification with giving information
- Apply RFM Scoring to prioritize donors
- Implement prospect identification
In this module, you’ll be asked to complete the following assignments:
- Homework | Avoiding analysis paralysis and Practice RFM
- Capstone #3 | Data mining for good prospects
MODULE FIVE

Prospect Management
- Learn the pieces of prospect management
- Define major gifts
- Consider your approach to tracking in the database
In this module, you’ll be asked to complete the following assignments:
- Homework | Major gift worksheet Compare and Contrast
- Capstone #4 | The Pieces of Prospect Management

BONUS RESOURCES
- Essentials for Successful Fundraising Research Textbook
- Starting your research with DonorSearch and iWave
- Clever Tips for Navigating the Internet
- Prospect Research #ChatBytes #CareerCurious series

PURCHASE COURSE

Enroll in Essentials for Successful Fundraising Research Course

$550

12-month access
12-month access to group coaching calls
Instructor feedback on homework
Includes the full textbook PDF download
Digital badge and certificate of competency

ENROLL TODAY!

Enroll today!

join the Essentials For Successful Fundraising Research Course

$550

What's waiting for you...

12-month access
12-month access to group coaching calls
Instructor feedback on homework
Includes the full textbook PDF download
Digital badge and certificate of competency

I WANT IN! SIGN ME UP!

Frequently Asked
Questions

How soon can I access the course once I place my order?

As soon as you buy the course, your username and password will be emailed to you for immediate access.

How long will I have access to the course?

You will have access to the course for 12 months from the date you purchase. During this time period, you also have access to the live Group Coaching Calls held monthly.

Who is this course designed for?

This course is designed for a fundraising generalist who performs many different fundraising tasks in addition to prospect research, especially a generalist in a fundraising office with a small staff. You might have a title similar to “Development Coordinator” or “Donor Relations Coordinator” or “Database Manager+” This course is NOT designed for researchers with years of experience.

How long will it take me to complete the course?

We typically design the courses for about 5 to 10 hours per module. You may need more or less time depending on the complexity of the content and the experiences and skills you bring to the course. Some students zip through a course in a month, others take many months.

What is the course format?

Our on-demand courses provide short video lectures and written content together with quizzes and homework. You can submit your homework for instructor feedback and successful completion of all capstone homework assignments will earn you a digital badge and certificate of competency.

Is it interactive and can I ask the instructor questions?

Absolutely! Your purchase comes with a monthly, live Group Coaching Call with your instructor. You also have access to the Institute’s free, public Learning Community Forums where you can direct message your instructor and connect with your peers.

Can I get a group discount?

Yes. If you have a team of three or more people, please contact sales@prospectresearchinstitute.org to ask about volume discounts. We also offer private training for groups.

Frequently Asked
Questions

How soon can I access the course once I place my order?

As soon as you buy the course, your username and password will be emailed to you for immediate access.

How long will I have access to the course?

You will have access to the course for 12 months from the date you purchase. During this time period, you also have access to the live Group Coaching Calls held monthly.

Who is this course designed for?

Please note that this course is designed for a researcher with three or fewer years of experience, or someone who doesn’t research often. This course is NOT designed for researchers with many years of experience preparing prospect profiles.

How long will it take me to complete the course?

We typically design the courses for about 5 to 10 hours per module. You may need more or less time depending on the complexity of the content and the experiences and skills you bring to the course. Some students zip through a course in a month, others take many months.

What is the course format?

Our on-demand courses provide short video lectures and written content together with quizzes and homework. You can submit your homework for instructor feedback and successful completion of all capstone homework assignments will earn you a digital badge and certificate of competency.

Is it interactive and can I ask the instructor questions?

Absolutely! Your purchase comes with a monthly, live Group Coaching Call with your instructor. You also have access to the Institute’s free, public Learning Community Forums where you can direct message your instructor and connect with your peers.

Can I get a group discount?

Yes. If you have a team of three or more people, please contact sales@prospectresearchinstitute.org to ask about volume discounts. We also offer private training for groups.

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