Jeff Jowdy on prospect research and teaching the joy of giving in major gifts

by | Jul 5, 2022 | Learning Edge Blog, News

Jennifer Filla
Prospect Research Institute Chatbytes Podcast with Jeff Jowdy - blog

If you’ve been in the world of philanthropy and fundraising for any length of time you are bound to hear the phrase “the art and science of fundraising.” With the professionalism of fundraising comes method and best practice – the science – but always there is the art of relationship building with human beings.

In speaking with Jeff Jowdy, prospect research can learn a lot from the art of fundraising. So often we researchers are up to our eyeballs in how to quantify and qualify using data and information that we neglect to nurture our understanding of the human side of fundraising – and how that can inform and improve our approaches.

For example, Jeff talks about how significant wealth seems to amplify a person’s existing orientation to philanthropy and money. This understanding alone can help a researcher find and recognize key information about a donor prospect’s “origin story” that could jump-start the development officer’s outreach and relationship building.

Yes, it’s important for those of us in research to have the technical skills, but without the fundraising understanding, we won’t be nearly as effective or successful in our work. As Jeff mentions, the dialogue between fundraiser and researcher is key to helping both parties leverage their respective talents and learn from each other.

Jeff is a great resource for this journey – for frontline fundraisers and researchers alike!

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Jen’s course on insider stock and compensation was informative, interesting, and well-thought out. Jen broke down the complicated material into digestible pieces. She showed us resources that I use in my day-to-day research that I wouldn’t have otherwise known about. Jen is always quick to respond and has been helpful even after the class has ended. She answers questions thoroughly and is always pleasant.

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The Capacity Rating Workshop was really useful. I was new to the prospect research field when I took the workshop, so it helped to demystify capacity ratings for me. The online classroom provided a great forum for interaction with the other participants and for a robust exchange of ideas. Beyond that though, Jen shared a wealth of information and resources about capacity ratings and other important aspects of prospect research. I highly recommend this workshop whether you’re new to the field or have years of experience in our profession.

David Lloyd, Prospect Research Professional, San Francisco, CA

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