Essentials for Fundraising Research
Learn to support the fundraising office with research!
Essentials for Fundraising Research
Learn to support the fundraising office with research!
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.
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?
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.
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 will I learn from taking this course?
In this course you will...
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Find information in five distinct areas that are relevant for fundraising.
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Create your own prospect profile.
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Quickly locate key sources of public information.
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Become a search engine power user.
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Identify which information sources are the most reliable.
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Get savvy about different profile strategies for different needs.
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Translate information into fundraising action.
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.
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.
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
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
Want to reach your Prospect Research Goals faster?
Take a quick peek, and discover why you should enroll in the Essentials for Successful Fundraising Research Course...
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?
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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
2 hours
Video Lessons
6
Bonus Downloads
5
Modules
12
Coaching Calls
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
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
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.
