Since 1920, Mount St. Joseph University has provided an education that is based on interdisciplinary liberal arts and professional curricula emphasizing mission, values, integrity, and social responsibility. Faculty and staff deliver high-quality academics, hands-on experiential learning, and personalized attention to support student success. Join our award-winning team, recognized as a 'Best College to Work for,' and be part of a vibrant culture that places a premium on collaboration and belonging.
Position Summary
The Prospect Research Manager provides strategic research, data analysis, and prospect intelligence to support fundraising and engagement efforts at Mount St. Joseph University. This position identifies, qualifies, and analyzes prospective donors while preparing comprehensive research and briefing materials that inform cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship strategies. Working collaboratively with the Institutional Advancement team, the Prospect Research Manager strengthens the donor pipeline through data-informed decision making and advances the University's mission by supporting philanthropic growth.
Essential Responsibilities
Prospect Research & Analysis
- Conduct comprehensive research to identify, qualify, and prioritize prospective donors, including individuals, corporations, and foundations, utilizing a variety of online, public, and subscription-based research resources.
- Analyze philanthropic capacity, charitable interests, giving history, affiliations, and relationship networks to develop strategic donor profiles.
- Prepare research reports, biographies, briefing materials, and prospect profiles for University leadership, Major Gifts Officer, and Institutional Advancement staff.
- Monitor wealth indicators, philanthropic trends, and emerging opportunities to support donor cultivation strategies.
- Research and identify alumni engagement opportunities, including volunteer leadership, advisory roles, and event participation.
Data Management & Reporting
- Maintain accurate prospect research information within the University's constituent relationship management system (e.g., Raiser's Edge) and related research platforms.
- Develop and manage systems for tracking research requests, project assignments, and completed analyses to ensure efficiency and data integrity.
- Conduct data mining and predictive analysis to identify new major gift prospects and opportunities to increase donor engagement.
- Develop reports, dashboards, and performance metrics that measure fundraising progress, prospect activity, and portfolio performance using tools such as Power BI and Excel.
Advancement Strategy & Collaboration
- Partner with the Director, Advancement Services to evaluate and recommend balanced prospect portfolios for Major Gifts Officer and other fundraising staff.
- Collaborate with Major Gifts Officer, Annual Giving, Alumni Engagement, and Grants staff to align prospect research with institutional fundraising priorities.
- Support comprehensive campaign planning through prospect pipeline development, goal setting, and strategy sessions.
- Recommend enhancements to research methodologies, technologies, and systems that improve fundraising effectiveness and operational efficiency.
- Provide guidance and training to Institutional Advancement staff regarding prospect research tools, resources, and best practices.
Compliance & Continuous Improvement
- Ensure compliance with professional ethics, confidentiality standards, and applicable data privacy regulations in all prospect research activities.
- Remain current on industry trends, emerging research methodologies, and best practices in prospect development and philanthropy.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Primary Internal Contacts
- Institutional Advancement Staff
- University Leadership
- Administrative Departments
- Other University Employees
Supervision
Supervision Received
- Director of Advancement Services
Supervision Exercised
- May supervise student employees, interns, or co-op students.
Qualifications
Education
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
Experience
- Minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in prospect research, philanthropy, advancement services, annual giving, alumni relations, or a related fundraising environment.
- Experience within higher education is strongly preferred.
Technical Knowledge & Skills
- Experience using donor databases such as Blackbaud Raiser's Edge or comparable constituent relationship management systems.
- Experience with prospect research platforms such as iWave, ResearchPoint, WealthEngine, LexisNexis, or similar tools.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel and Word.
- Experience using reporting and visualization tools such as Power BI or similar analytics software.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills with exceptional attention to detail.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex research into concise, actionable reports.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, maintain confidentiality, and work independently while collaborating effectively across departments.
Benefits
Mount St. Joseph University offers a wide array of benefit options, to meet the financial, educational, health, and wellness needs of you and your family. Eligibility varies by position and FTE.
- Tuition Remission for you and your family.
- 403b Retirement
- Excellent benefits including medical, employer HSA contributions, dental, vision, life, parental leave.
- Generous PTO.
- 16 paid holidays.
- Competitive salaries.
- Opportunity to work in a dynamic and collaborative educational environment.
- Professional development opportunities.
To apply, please upload a cover letter, resume, and contact information with three professional references via Paycom.
A review of resumes will begin immediately and continue until the position is filled.
Please click here to review the University's policies on E-Verify, Equal Opportunity, and Non-Discrimination.
Mount St. Joseph University is an Equal Opportunity Employer
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
- Minimum of three (3) years of progressively responsible experience in prospect research, philanthropy, advancement services, annual giving, alumni relations, or related fundraising.
- Experience using donor databases such as Blackbaud Raiser's Edge or comparable CRM systems.
- Experience with prospect research platforms such as iWave, ResearchPoint, WealthEngine, LexisNexis, or similar tools.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel and Word.
- Experience using reporting and visualization tools such as Power BI or similar analytics software.
- Strong analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills with exceptional attention to detail.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including ability to synthesize complex research into concise, actionable reports.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, maintain confidentiality, and work independently while collaborating across departments.
- Experience within higher education.
What We Do
Mount St. Joseph University is a Catholic academic community grounded in the spiritual values and vision of its founders, the Sisters of Charity. The University educates its students through interdisciplinary liberal arts, and professional curricula emphasizing values, integrity, and social responsibility.
