Articles that inspire
Prospect Research Edge
Kickstart Your Career
If you’re just starting in fundraising research and prospect management, our Career Agent Training is the perfect first step. Designed for beginners, this program gives you the foundational knowledge and practical skills to navigate the world of prospect research with confidence. With expert-led instruction, real-world examples, and hands-on practice, you’ll learn how to identify top donor prospects, manage data effectively, and grow your career from day one. Start strong with training that sets you up for success!
For Carol Horner philanthropy is about more than making a donation, it’s a lifestyle.
The next time you read about the “donor crisis” in America, I want you to think about Carol Horner. A major donor to many causes in her community of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Carol lives a philanthropic life. She describes herself as a fundraiser, donor, and volunteer....
The Ebb and Flow of Prospect Management with Ruthie Giles
Are you ever frustrated with the limitations of your database or don’t have enough database support? We have all been there! But Ruthie Giles, Prospect Management Rock Star, has news for you. You can still move forward and actively manage your prospect portfolio. In...
#CareerCurious with Devon Villa Gessert: The Path to Leadership
Devon Villa Gessert shares how she made the leap from doing to planning.
Making SEC financial filings accessible with Raul Peralta of Kaleidoscope
A.I. and machine learning has entered the mainstream with promises of software applications that can assist us to do more and do it much faster. In this environment, Raul Peralta, CEO and Founder of Kaleidoscope explains how Kaleidoscope goes beyond the traditional...
Sarah Cadbury Goes Beyond Performance Metrics to Prospect Insight
Relationships take work. And the more complex the relationship the more difficult it becomes to track and understand that relationship. Ask Sarah Cadbury! Sarah is Executive Director of Prospect Development at Temple University and Consultant at Huron | GG+A...
Supporting start-up donor acquisition and retention with Meta Stange at INN
If you work inside a large or long-established nonprofit, you might not realize that there are nonprofits out there that start out by relying only on major gifts – not even a donation button on the website! Usually that means institutional giving, but increasingly it...
Stepping into Prospect Management with Kelyn Klein
If you have to accomplish something really big, you break it into little pieces and get started. But what if you have to define that really big project before you can even take your first step? This is what Kelyn Klein, Director of Prospect Research and Portfolio...
Diane Remin on Major Gift Fundraising at Small Nonprofits
At the Prospect Research Institute, we train researchers at nonprofits of all sizes and shapes. Some have a team of major gift fundraising professionals while some may have only one staff dedicated to individual giving. One thing we have learned over the years is that...
Talking Family Offices with Erik Hoover
Erik Hoover comes from the world of competitive intelligence. Although the industry is different, many of the research objectives are remarkably similar. When working in competitive intelligence, Erik tried to answer, “What motivates an investor to make significant...
Sphere of Influence Research with Chris Mildner
Chris Mildner, Prospect Research Analyst at The Nature Conservancy, has worked in higher education, healthcare, and now an environmental nonprofit, honing her skills and refining her research practices. One of the practices she has successfully implemented is Sphere...
Capital Campaign Success Secrets with Peggy Calhoun
Peggy Calhoun is a passionate, enthusiastic, and driven fundraiser. Among the first to receive the ACFRE designation, the highest level bestowed by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), she has spent more than 25 years helping organizations achieve their...
The Role of Profile Research in Corporate Fundraising with Tracy LaMondue
Which number sounds more impressive: 6% or $29.48 billion? According to Giving USA, corporate philanthropy was only 6% of total giving in 2022. But that translates to collective corporate giving of $29.48 billion. Companies may not be the largest source of donor...
Words from happy Researchers
Success Stories
★★★★★
I love your Master Class format – small group, clearly defined curriculum, solid professional information and resources and focus on discussion. But most importantly I was impressed and delighted to see that you incorporated an additional and extremely practical layer of knowledge, through hands on experience with tools (pivot tables) or resources (Candid). This adds real value to the educational experience you offer.
Betsy Mehlman
2020-Master Class
★★★★★
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.
I was able to take what I learned from the course and present the material to our front-line fundraisers. One fundraiser told me after my presentation that she discovered one of her donor’s compensation was much higher than she thought. So, already, this information has come in handy! Thanks again Jen!
Kim Anthony, San Francisco CA
Insider Stock and Compensation
★★★★★
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.