Prospect Research Is a Verb: Fundraising Is the Subject is a prospect research manual that's down-to-earth, easy-to-follow, and even fun to read. Meredith Hancks and Cara Rosson divide the manual into four Parts, each dealing with a specific aspect of project research. They make innovative use of the old-fashioned gift pyramid to provide a surprisingly helpful visual aid for examining the levels of research required for different types of prospects.
In chapters 1 through 10, you will learn about the foundations for the profession. This information lays the groundwork for each of the next sections of chapters.
Chapters 11 through 16 discuss basic research skills for foundational prospects—generally considered annual fund prospects. When presented with a very preliminary request for research, you will probably need the information in this section.
Chapters 17 through 22, Middle of the Road, build upon the first two sections of chapters but can also stand alone. In these chapters, you will learn about research for real estate, gift capacity, and networks. This chapter is the starting point for identifying potential major gift prospects.
Finally, chapters 23 through 27 address the types of research you will conduct when completing a full profile or preparing for a solicitation for a major gift ask.
Throughout, the authors offer helpful and interesting sidebars, and take the time to give you specifics.
About the Authors
Meredith Hancks, author of the well-received Getting Started in Prospect Research: What You Need to Know to Find Who You Need to Find, uses data daily to uncover hidden gems in the database at Western Illinois University, where she is the Director of Prospect Research and Management. She is serving the wider nonprofit community as Chair of the Best Practices in Prospect Development subcommittee for the Association of Advancement Services Professionals and as Vice President for the Illinois Chapter of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement. She is currently a Doctoral Candidate at the University of Minnesota completing an Ed.D. in Higher Education Administration.
Cara Rosson has been doing internet and prospect research for well over ten years now. She has worked as a prospect research analyst for Florida State University and Bradley University, and has done executive recruiting and sourcing for a small boutique agency, BizWerks. She lives in Peoria, Illinois with two boys and two basset hounds. She loves traveling, reading, and community organizing and activism.
About the CharityChannel In the Trenches(tm) Series
You’ll know an In the Trenches book not just by its cover, but by the author’s fun, upbeat writing style. But don’t be fooled by its down-to-earth approach and ample use of sidebars. In the Trenches books are authoritative and cover what a beginner should know to get started and progress rapidly, and what a more experienced nonprofit-sector practitioner needs to move forward in the subject.
