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!
Innovations in Capacity Ratings with Adam Bradford
Usually, when I interview someone for this podcast, I have some idea of what the person is going to say. I do my homework, read about the topic, and arrive prepared. Not this time. When I asked Adam Bradford, Director of Prospect Development at Columbia University in...
Cryptocurrency and the Opportunity Factor with Elisa Shoenberger
Cryptocurrency has been making all kinds of headlines these days. Described as the “crypto winter,” coins have been folding, freezing, and getting hijacked. Is this the end of the cryptocurrency opportunity for philanthropy? Not according to Elisa Shoenberger,...
Practical Tips for Succeeding With a Visual or Auditory Impairment
Disabilities can impact an individual’s work performance and daily life in many ways. The significance of the impact depends on the person’s unique level of disability and ability, but most of the time, simple accommodations can be made in the workplace and at home to help the individual thrive. If you’re looking for creative alternatives to conventional workplace practices and processes to accommodate your visual or auditory impairment (or your employees’), consider these ideas:
Fundraising with an Abundance Mindset with Gauri Manglik at Instrumentl
Gauri has found a niche within a niche – corporate and foundation fundraising within the nonprofit sector - and applied an abundance mindset to continuously listen to customers and develop software support that works. How many years have we had CRM databases? DECADES....
Jeff Jowdy on prospect research and teaching the joy of giving in major gifts
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...
Digital Marketing Data for Fundraising with Joe Stabb
If anyone would recognize the gems hidden inside marketing data, it would be Joe Stabb! Currently, he is Assistant Professor of Practice at University of Tennessee, Knoxville, but his LinkedIn profile is testament to the many career paths that he has sampled over the...
Go Ask Jen: Factoring rental properties into gift capacity/wealth ratings
A post on the Apra forum recently asked about rental properties. The poster said that they were researching their prospect and discovered that the prospect owned a variety of single-family home and retail storefronts, all located in the town where they lived. The...
Linda Smith and the Confessions of a Sin City Fundraiser
Whatever you do, don’t say “No” to Linda Smith! She is the kind of woman who gets energized whenever she is told “no,” or that something can’t be done – or that her newborn baby can’t be a U.S. citizen because he was born with a disability. Sometimes not knowing, or...
Job Relocation? How to Find an Accessible Home for Barrier-Free Living
Pursuing a career in prospect research can sometimes mean relocating to a new geographic area with new opportunities. Relocating is challenging for everyone! In this guest post, Patrick Young examines the unique challenges faced by those with disabilities, providing...
Research Pride Meet Fundraising Celebrities
This year in celebration of Research Pride Month, the Institute reached out to partner with Apra Florida Chapter and Staupell Analytics to celebrate all month-long by promoting and advocating in social media and crafting educational and fun events. For those of you...
#CareerCurious with Miguel Angel Hernández at Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico
If you’ve ever been curious about prospect research in Mexico, Miguel Angel Hernández at Tecnológico de Monterrey is bursting with the best ideas for prospecting and researching, as well as insights on how the profession is developing there. Like many in the prospect...
Dr. Russell James reveals the secret behind major gift growth – psychology!
Dr. Russell James has been studying charitable financial planning for more than 15 years, and that followed 11 years living in the fundraising space as Director of Planned Giving and later President of Central Christian College of the Bible. His love for charitable...
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.