Associate Director, Advancement Research & Prospect Management

Edtech.com's Summary

Wright State University is hiring an Associate Director, Advancement Research & Prospect Management. The role involves researching and qualifying major and leadership gift prospects, managing prospect research projects, preparing donor intelligence, and collaborating with advancement staff to maintain a strong donor pipeline. The Associate Director supervises student researchers and integrates qualitative and quantitative data to support fundraising strategy and decisions.

Highlights

Conduct in-depth research on individuals, corporations, and foundations to evaluate philanthropic potential and alignment with university priorities.

Manage prospect research projects, prepare detailed prospect profiles, and update donor information in CRM systems.

Provide data modeling, predictive forecasting, and perform statistical analysis to inform fundraising strategies.

Supervise and train student researchers on ethical research practices and data quality standards.

Collaborate with Advancement Records Specialist and Manager of Advancement Analytics to integrate research and data analysis.

Proficiency with CRMs (e.g., Ellucian Banner, Salesforce, Blackbaud), data visualization, wealth screening services, and research tools.

Strong skills in data querying, mining, reporting, Microsoft Office (especially Excel), and fundraising research products such as Lexis-Nexis.

Minimum annual salary of $60,000 with a full-time (100%) position under salary band UC S05.

Requires a Bachelor’s Degree and at least four years of prospect research experience in non-profit or comparable experience.

Involvement with professional associations and ability to represent Wright State University externally.

Associate Director, Advancement Research & Prospect Management Full Description

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Position Information

Position Information (Default Section)

EEO Statement	Wright State University is an equal opportunity employer.
Faculty Rank or Job Title	Associate Director, Advancement Research & Prospect Management
Job Category:	Administrative (exempt/non-exempt)
Department	University Development
EEO number:	26P275
Position FTE	100%
Minimum Annual Salary	$60,000
Salary Band:	UC S05
Job Summary/Basic Function:	The Associate Director of Prospect Research is responsible for researching, discovering and qualifying potential major and leadership gift prospects to support the University’s fundraising priorities. This position manages prospect research projects, prepares actionable donor intelligence, provides data modeling and predictive forecasting, and partners with advancement staff to ensure a healthy, evolving donor pipeline. Reporting to the Director of Advancement Research & Prospect Management, the Associate Director supervises student researchers and collaborates closely with both the Advancement Records Specialist to ensure a robust database, and with the Manager of Advancement Analytics to integrate qualitative research with quantitative data in order to inform donor engagement strategy and fundraising decisions.
Minimum Qualifications	Bachelor’s Degree. At least four years of prospect research experience in a non-profit setting (preferably academic), or a combination of research and fundraising experience involving regular collaboration with a prospect research team on projects; however, a minimum of six years experience in library, market research or related field may be considered. Familiarity with CRMs (e.g. Ellucian’s Banner, Salesforce, Blackbaud, etc.), data visualization platforms, wealth screening services and research tools. Familiarity with data querying, mining, and reporting. Excellent quantitative analysis skills, attention to detail and the ability to think strategically. Ability to use technology to gather, interpret, organize and present data. Strong computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office software (particularly Excel) and the products commonly used in fund-raising research (such as Lexis-Nexis). Familiarity with implementing proactive prospecting methodologies, understanding wealth indicators, and calculating donor gift capacity. General knowledge of fundraising culture and fundraising terms, including donor types, prospect stages and gift vehicles. Must be able to work independently with very little supervision & exercise independent judgment and initiative, often under strict deadlines. Demonstrated project and time management skills. Demonstrated record of initiative, team collaboration, complex problem solving, and adaptability. Excellent written and interpersonal skills, with experience facilitating meetings, leading project teams, giving presentations, training colleagues, and forming productive partnerships with internal and external constituencies. High motivation and creativity. Commitment to professional ethics, donor confidentiality and customer service.
Preferred Qualifications	Bachelor’s degree in Data Analytics, Library Science, Marketing, Statistics, Journalism or related field. Proficiency in implementing proactive prospecting methodologies, understanding wealth indicators, and calculating donor gift capacity. Major fund-raising campaign experience. Familiarity with the Banner database system and querying & reporting using Cognos; or proficiency with data querying, mining, and reporting. Knowledge of Wright State’s mission and programs, and familiarity with Dayton-area businesses, VIPs, and philanthropic community.Supervisory experience.
Essential Functions and percent of time:	50% Research & Prospect Management: Conduct in-depth research on individuals, corporations, and foundations to evaluate giving capacity, philanthropic interests, and potential alignment with university priorities. Prepare detailed prospect profiles, briefing materials, and biographical notes for gift officers and university leadership to capture biographic, wealth and philanthropic interest information, focusing on the needs of each college. Ensure all information is updated in a timely and efficient manner in the CRM system. Using careful and independent judgement, proactively seek new major gift ($25,000+) and high-level annual gift prospects through data mining techniques, push technology and demographic searches. Collaborate with the ARPM team to validate, rate and prioritize prospects through combined qualitative and quantitative approaches. Partner with the Director of Advancement Research & Prospect Management to lead additional proactive prospect identification efforts, including relationship mapping, event attendee analysis, and internal/external database screenings/scorings. May be responsible for selecting & negotiating contracts with vendors when ARPM outsources an electronic screening or other project related to wealth/propensity scoring, data mining or appending (typically these contracts would be in the $25,000-$150,000 range; and will assist with interpreting & processing the results. Partner with gift officers to support prospect strategy development, conduct portfolio reviews, and track cultivation & proposal progress.
Essential Functions and percent of time (cont'd):	25% Predictive and Descriptive Data/Statistical Analysis: Cross-train with the Manager of Advancement Analytics and the Director of Advancement Research to assist with performing many of the duties outlined below: Build donor models to facilitate and improve prospect identification and characterization. Create detailed statistical views of staff, fundraising & proposal activity to identify strengths/success rates and opportunities. Provide predictive analysis on possible courses of action under consideration and recommend overall strategic actions that may not yet be under consideration. Perform complex and high quality data analysis and present data related to the fundraising activities and constituent bases of WSU, as well as general philanthropic and economic trends, through a combination of presentations and written & graphical reports. Provide leadership for all division-initiated alumni & donor surveys. Work with Annual Giving and Alumni Relations to improve effectiveness of mass fundraising activities, such as Wright Day to Give and the Campus Scholarship & Innovation Campaign, through the refinement of calling segments/appeals, tracking & reporting. Apply solid problem-solving skills, initiate and manage other projects related to the analysis of internal data, including possible new standards for tracking extraneous external data and working with shadow databases. 25% Supervision of student Development Aide(s) and OTHER DUTIES: Hire, train, and supervise student researcher(s) in ethical research practices and data quality standards and supervise selected student projects, including mass database updates (donor/board list coding, event attendees, special demographic updates and exclusion codes generated out of the phonathon program); the associate director will be involved in generating the reports necessary to provide the students with this information and will be responsible for staying informed on constituent involvement with the University so that it can be tracked within the CRM. Provide various services to WSU’s colleges and departments, including recommending invitees for campus events, nominees for awards and advisory/committee positions, serving on internal scholarship committee(s), and facilitating meetings with internal and external staff. Assume director’s responsibilities in his/her absence & assist director in establishing research-related policies, procedures and standards. Assist with training professional staff as needed on database use, prospect tracking, and research techniques. Monitor industry trends, tools, and methodologies to improve research effectiveness; Identify data clean-up & maintenance issues and recommend value-added solutions. This includes being actively involved with any future database conversions. Serve as a Wright State representative to professional associations such as the Ohio Prospect Research Network, Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement, or the Association of Fundraising Professionals, either as a board member, speaker, or paying member. Other duties as assigned.
Non-Essential Functions and percent of time:
Working Conditions	Must be comfortable using a MAC laptop computer. Must be willing to work remotely as needed and be willing to travel for research, training, and professional development. To preserve the safety and security of the campus community and to maintain the integrity of university operations, it is the policy of Wright State University making an employment offer contingent on various background checks, such as a criminal record, credit history when job related and/or education verifications. Additionally, an administrative review shall be conducted whenever the university learns that an employee is charged with or convicted of a crime (except for minor vehicle violations). Frequently asked questions related to background checks may be found on the Human resources website at http://www.wright.edu/human-resources. Effective July 1, 2017, per Policy 7230 Wright State University is tobacco-free. Tobacco use, including the sale, advertising sampling and distribution of tobacco products and tobacco related items is prohibited in all university facilities, on all university owned or leased grounds, university owned or operated residence halls and apartments, and at all university sponsored events regardless of location. Tobacco use is also prohibited in all university vehicles or on any equipment owned, leased or operated by Wright State University. This policy applies to anyone on campus including students, faculty, staff, visitors, consultants, vendors, patients, volunteers, and contractor employees.
Special Instructions to Applicants
Posting Date	05/21/2026
First Consideration Date:	06/01/2026
Closing Date
Open Until Filled	Yes

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

* Do you have a Bachelor's degree?
- Yes
- No
* Do you have at least four years of prospect research experience in a non-profit setting (preferably academic), or a combination of research and fundraising experience involving regular collaboration with a prospect research team on projects? A minimum of six years experience in library, market research or related field may be considered.
- Yes
- No
* Do you have familiarity with CRMs (e.g. Ellucian's Banner, Salesforce, Blackbaud, etc.), data visualization platforms, wealth screening services and research tools?
- Yes
- No
* Do you have familiarity with data querying, mining, and reporting?
- Yes
- No
* Do you have strong computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office software (particularly Excel) and products commonly used in fundraising research, such as LexisNexis?
- Yes
- No

Required Documents

Required Documents

Cover Letter
Resume/CV

Optional Documents

Home

3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy., Dayton, OH 45435 USA

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Original Job Description

Employment Opportunities

Toggle navigation

Human Resources

Associate Director, Advancement Research & Prospect Management Bookmark this Posting Print Preview | Apply for this Job

Position Information

Position Information (Default Section)

EEO Statement	Wright State University is an equal opportunity employer.
Faculty Rank or Job Title	Associate Director, Advancement Research & Prospect Management
Job Category:	Administrative (exempt/non-exempt)
Department	University Development
EEO number:	26P275
Position FTE	100%
Minimum Annual Salary	$60,000
Salary Band:	UC S05
Job Summary/Basic Function:	The Associate Director of Prospect Research is responsible for researching, discovering and qualifying potential major and leadership gift prospects to support the University’s fundraising priorities. This position manages prospect research projects, prepares actionable donor intelligence, provides data modeling and predictive forecasting, and partners with advancement staff to ensure a healthy, evolving donor pipeline. Reporting to the Director of Advancement Research & Prospect Management, the Associate Director supervises student researchers and collaborates closely with both the Advancement Records Specialist to ensure a robust database, and with the Manager of Advancement Analytics to integrate qualitative research with quantitative data in order to inform donor engagement strategy and fundraising decisions.
Minimum Qualifications	Bachelor’s Degree. At least four years of prospect research experience in a non-profit setting (preferably academic), or a combination of research and fundraising experience involving regular collaboration with a prospect research team on projects; however, a minimum of six years experience in library, market research or related field may be considered. Familiarity with CRMs (e.g. Ellucian’s Banner, Salesforce, Blackbaud, etc.), data visualization platforms, wealth screening services and research tools. Familiarity with data querying, mining, and reporting. Excellent quantitative analysis skills, attention to detail and the ability to think strategically. Ability to use technology to gather, interpret, organize and present data. Strong computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office software (particularly Excel) and the products commonly used in fund-raising research (such as Lexis-Nexis). Familiarity with implementing proactive prospecting methodologies, understanding wealth indicators, and calculating donor gift capacity. General knowledge of fundraising culture and fundraising terms, including donor types, prospect stages and gift vehicles. Must be able to work independently with very little supervision & exercise independent judgment and initiative, often under strict deadlines. Demonstrated project and time management skills. Demonstrated record of initiative, team collaboration, complex problem solving, and adaptability. Excellent written and interpersonal skills, with experience facilitating meetings, leading project teams, giving presentations, training colleagues, and forming productive partnerships with internal and external constituencies. High motivation and creativity. Commitment to professional ethics, donor confidentiality and customer service.
Preferred Qualifications	Bachelor’s degree in Data Analytics, Library Science, Marketing, Statistics, Journalism or related field. Proficiency in implementing proactive prospecting methodologies, understanding wealth indicators, and calculating donor gift capacity. Major fund-raising campaign experience. Familiarity with the Banner database system and querying & reporting using Cognos; or proficiency with data querying, mining, and reporting. Knowledge of Wright State’s mission and programs, and familiarity with Dayton-area businesses, VIPs, and philanthropic community.Supervisory experience.
Essential Functions and percent of time:	50% Research & Prospect Management: Conduct in-depth research on individuals, corporations, and foundations to evaluate giving capacity, philanthropic interests, and potential alignment with university priorities. Prepare detailed prospect profiles, briefing materials, and biographical notes for gift officers and university leadership to capture biographic, wealth and philanthropic interest information, focusing on the needs of each college. Ensure all information is updated in a timely and efficient manner in the CRM system. Using careful and independent judgement, proactively seek new major gift ($25,000+) and high-level annual gift prospects through data mining techniques, push technology and demographic searches. Collaborate with the ARPM team to validate, rate and prioritize prospects through combined qualitative and quantitative approaches. Partner with the Director of Advancement Research & Prospect Management to lead additional proactive prospect identification efforts, including relationship mapping, event attendee analysis, and internal/external database screenings/scorings. May be responsible for selecting & negotiating contracts with vendors when ARPM outsources an electronic screening or other project related to wealth/propensity scoring, data mining or appending (typically these contracts would be in the $25,000-$150,000 range; and will assist with interpreting & processing the results. Partner with gift officers to support prospect strategy development, conduct portfolio reviews, and track cultivation & proposal progress.
Essential Functions and percent of time (cont'd):	25% Predictive and Descriptive Data/Statistical Analysis: Cross-train with the Manager of Advancement Analytics and the Director of Advancement Research to assist with performing many of the duties outlined below: Build donor models to facilitate and improve prospect identification and characterization. Create detailed statistical views of staff, fundraising & proposal activity to identify strengths/success rates and opportunities. Provide predictive analysis on possible courses of action under consideration and recommend overall strategic actions that may not yet be under consideration. Perform complex and high quality data analysis and present data related to the fundraising activities and constituent bases of WSU, as well as general philanthropic and economic trends, through a combination of presentations and written & graphical reports. Provide leadership for all division-initiated alumni & donor surveys. Work with Annual Giving and Alumni Relations to improve effectiveness of mass fundraising activities, such as Wright Day to Give and the Campus Scholarship & Innovation Campaign, through the refinement of calling segments/appeals, tracking & reporting. Apply solid problem-solving skills, initiate and manage other projects related to the analysis of internal data, including possible new standards for tracking extraneous external data and working with shadow databases. 25% Supervision of student Development Aide(s) and OTHER DUTIES: Hire, train, and supervise student researcher(s) in ethical research practices and data quality standards and supervise selected student projects, including mass database updates (donor/board list coding, event attendees, special demographic updates and exclusion codes generated out of the phonathon program); the associate director will be involved in generating the reports necessary to provide the students with this information and will be responsible for staying informed on constituent involvement with the University so that it can be tracked within the CRM. Provide various services to WSU’s colleges and departments, including recommending invitees for campus events, nominees for awards and advisory/committee positions, serving on internal scholarship committee(s), and facilitating meetings with internal and external staff. Assume director’s responsibilities in his/her absence & assist director in establishing research-related policies, procedures and standards. Assist with training professional staff as needed on database use, prospect tracking, and research techniques. Monitor industry trends, tools, and methodologies to improve research effectiveness; Identify data clean-up & maintenance issues and recommend value-added solutions. This includes being actively involved with any future database conversions. Serve as a Wright State representative to professional associations such as the Ohio Prospect Research Network, Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement, or the Association of Fundraising Professionals, either as a board member, speaker, or paying member. Other duties as assigned.
Non-Essential Functions and percent of time:
Working Conditions	Must be comfortable using a MAC laptop computer. Must be willing to work remotely as needed and be willing to travel for research, training, and professional development. To preserve the safety and security of the campus community and to maintain the integrity of university operations, it is the policy of Wright State University making an employment offer contingent on various background checks, such as a criminal record, credit history when job related and/or education verifications. Additionally, an administrative review shall be conducted whenever the university learns that an employee is charged with or convicted of a crime (except for minor vehicle violations). Frequently asked questions related to background checks may be found on the Human resources website at http://www.wright.edu/human-resources. Effective July 1, 2017, per Policy 7230 Wright State University is tobacco-free. Tobacco use, including the sale, advertising sampling and distribution of tobacco products and tobacco related items is prohibited in all university facilities, on all university owned or leased grounds, university owned or operated residence halls and apartments, and at all university sponsored events regardless of location. Tobacco use is also prohibited in all university vehicles or on any equipment owned, leased or operated by Wright State University. This policy applies to anyone on campus including students, faculty, staff, visitors, consultants, vendors, patients, volunteers, and contractor employees.
Special Instructions to Applicants
Posting Date	05/21/2026
First Consideration Date:	06/01/2026
Closing Date
Open Until Filled	Yes

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

* Do you have a Bachelor's degree?
- Yes
- No
* Do you have at least four years of prospect research experience in a non-profit setting (preferably academic), or a combination of research and fundraising experience involving regular collaboration with a prospect research team on projects? A minimum of six years experience in library, market research or related field may be considered.
- Yes
- No
* Do you have familiarity with CRMs (e.g. Ellucian's Banner, Salesforce, Blackbaud, etc.), data visualization platforms, wealth screening services and research tools?
- Yes
- No
* Do you have familiarity with data querying, mining, and reporting?
- Yes
- No
* Do you have strong computer skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office software (particularly Excel) and products commonly used in fundraising research, such as LexisNexis?
- Yes
- No

Required Documents

Required Documents

Cover Letter
Resume/CV

Optional Documents

Home

3640 Colonel Glenn Hwy., Dayton, OH 45435 USA

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Associate Director, Advancement Research & Prospect Management

Edtech.com's Summary

Associate Director, Advancement Research & Prospect Management Full Description

Assistant Director of Communications

Workday Communications Specialist

Director of Development

Communications Manager

Associate Director, Annual Giving Engagement Officer