Prospect Researcher

Division of Advancement
Office of Development

Prospect Researcher

Binghamton University’s Division of Advancement is seeking a highly motivated, detail-oriented and experienced self-starter with a commitment to public higher education for the position of Prospect Researcher. The Prospect Researcher gathers and analyzes information on, and facilitates and tracks communication with, the University's current and potential prospects and donors, including individuals, corporations, and foundations.

Research plays a key role in the Division of Advancement's strategic priorities: the expansion of the University's base of support, which complements the other fundamental priorities of building relationships and raising funds. This need is addressed by conducting research and analysis, identifying new prospects, and managing the processes of queueing the most promising prospects for gift officer portfolios. The Researcher is an advocate for the highest standards of performance and ethical behavior as related to prospect research and donor/prospect confidentiality.

For full position description and application instructions, please see The Research Foundation for SUNY at Binghamton Job Posting: Prospect Researcher - Division of Advancement:https://rfbu.interviewexchange.com/jobofferdetails.jsp?JOBID=185346.
To learn more about Binghamton University, please visit: http://www.binghamton.edu/

The Research Foundation, a private, not-for-profit corporation, is an employer separate from both Binghamton University and the State of New York, and offers comparable compensation and benefit plans including medical, dental, and vision insurances, flexible spending, dependent care subsidy, life insurance and retirement contributions.

The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (SUNY) is the largest, most comprehensive university-connected research foundation in the country. The Research Foundation manages SUNY's research portfolio, providing essential sponsored programs administration and innovation support services to SUNY faculty and students performing research in areas including life sciences and medicine; engineering and nanotechnology; physical sciences and energy; social sciences; arts and humanities; and computer and information sciences.

The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (RF) is committed to the principles of Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action.

Binghamton University is a tobacco-free campus.

Primary Functions:

The Prospect Researcher gathers and analyzes information on, and facilitates and tracks communication with, the University's current and potential prospects and donors, including individuals, corporations, and foundations. The Researcher plays a role in the Division of Advancement’s strategic priorities: the expansion of the University's base of support, which complements the other fundamental priorities of building relationships and raising funds. This need is addressed by conducting research and analysis, identifying new prospects, and managing the processes of queueing the most promising prospects for gift officer portfolios. The Researcher is an advocate for the highest standards of performance and ethical behavior as related to prospect research and donor/prospect confidentiality outlined by the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA).

Duties and Responsibilities:

The primary responsibilities of the Prospect Researcher include:

1. (50%) Enhancing research content: Produces timely in-depth research on individuals, corporations, and foundations using a wide variety of biographical, organizational and financial sources, including state-of-the-art online database services, internet websites, library and government sources and other external repositories of public information. Analyzes and documents complex information to assess financial capacity, philanthropic tendencies, giving propensity and linkages to campus. Extracts and records key information which informs cultivation and solicitation strategies.

2. (30%) Developing resources for support: Proactively and independently identifies sources of major gift ($50,000 ) private support for Binghamton University both from within the Millennium database system and using research techniques and electronic searching methodologies, combined with external sources, in order to develop a sufficient pool of potential prospects for campus wide fundraising initiatives.

3. (15%) Managing pipeline development and prioritization: Collaborates with supervisor on matters related to pool and pipeline prioritization and management. Ensures that prospect knowledge, including external ratings, interests and linkages acquired through research is preserved and maintained in a complex database system that is accessible to campus-wide fundraising staff to develop future cultivation strategies. Develops and executes strategies to ensure that newly identified suspects are accessible.

4. (5%) Contributing to the overall success of the Division: Assumes responsibility for other duties as assigned within the scope of this position.

Skills and Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree required with experience in higher education advancement, or equivalent preferred.

• Strong computer skills and demonstrated background in Internet-based research. Experience working with a relational database a necessity, as well as the Microsoft Office suite of products, including Excel. Ability to download and export information between systems.

• Detail-oriented individual that can perform accurate and timely data entry updates and routine data cleanup within donor and prospect database.

• Excellent oral and interpersonal skills, including diplomacy.

• Demonstrated ability to work independently, prioritize work, and independently manage multiple, diverse and competing priorities while meeting deadlines.

• Adhere to University standards of discretion and confidentiality.

• Ability to recall, recognize and communicate interrelated information pertaining to University benefactors and prospects.

• Must be self-motivated, curious, focused, and persistent in the pursuit of information.

• Knowledge of ethics statements by APRA, Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and other related associations.

Preferred Skills and Experience:

• Demonstrated experience in prospect research, development, library research or information related field preferably in a higher education environment. Knowledge of the range of resources available to prospect researchers and the ability to apply those resources in an organized and purposeful manner.

• Demonstrated analytical skills to initiate and perform complex analyses and organize information to identify philanthropic patterns, tendencies, and relationships among individuals, corporations and foundations. Ability to analyze and interpret complex financial disclosure documents for the purposes of wealth assessment (SEC filings, real property files, financial and legal disclosures, etc.). Ability to compose documents using style, grammar and content appropriate to specific audiences.

• Demonstrated ability to conceptualize and develop proactive prospecting methodologies to support organizational goals, including data mining, constituent database queries, etc.

• Experience with Abila Millennium donor management software preferred.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $60,000.00 - $70,000.00 per year

Schedule:

• Day shift

Work Location: In person

Salary : $60,000 - $70,000