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Our mission is to unlock the grace of giving in advancing Notre Dame’s mission to be a force for good in the world. Located on the beautiful campus of Notre Dame, the Prospect Research Analyst identifies and analyzes the interests and capacity of alumni, parents, and friends to donate to the University in ways that are meaningful to them and that align with our mission. The Prospect Research Analyst serves on the Philanthropic Strategy team, using their data analysis, strong curiosity, and data-communication skills to support front line fundraisers, Prospect Management Consultants, and senior leaders in Development. They work closely with these internal constituents to connect events that may influence benefactor strategies to achieve historic levels of philanthropy.

What You Do:
The Research Analyst provides relevant, timely, and accurate information to Prospect Management Consultants, front line fundraisers, and leadership to identify prospects, gauge capacity, and suggest meaningful giving strategies. Additionally, the Researcher provides analysis and recommendations based on regional, industry and philanthropic trends. The Researcher works on specific requests and longer-term projects to find new opportunities for significant, impactful giving.


Great Prospect Research Analysts come with experience from many fields.
Shared characteristics include:
* Strong Curiosity: Asks a lot of questions and comes up with new questions; wonders how things are related, and enjoys digging into the details to learn more
* Intellectual assimilation: Makes new, interesting, and actionable connections with information gleaned from research, data, conversations, events, and the world around them; can think on their feet
* Analytical communicator: Can dive into data, analyze it, and communicate information to others to recommend actions and support decisions
* Process-minded: Always seeking to streamline and improve processes
* Confident: Unafraid to ask questions, identify new and better ways of doing things, engage with senior leaders, and share ideas that may seem unorthodox at first glance but are the product of innovation & expertise
* Tech-savvy: Comfortable with using & learning new software, databases, and technologies to produce best-in-class results


Why You Will Love This Role:
You’re curious, and find connections and relationships among people, geography, trends, and other data that may affect a benefactor’s inclination and ability to give. You enjoy both diving deep into and casting a wide net of interesting threads of data, and can assimilate them into information and knowledge. If you find yourself monitoring the news and financial markets “for fun”, discovering interesting social & economic trends, and love to solve mysteries or make new discoveries using data, then this might be the perfect job for you!


Key activities for this role include:
Research
* Provide customized research and analysis to aid in the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors and prospects in a timely manner.
* Conduct independent research to identify, qualify, and prioritize prospective donors using local, state, and national resources; subscription research tools; monitor news and publicly-available financial information from professional publications, press releases and major newspapers.
* Develop expertise in industries where prospects are employed. Identify and maximize resources to monitor and track industry specific changes that are relevant to our mission.
* Maintain an effective balance between proactive, reactive and special project research.

Analyze & Communicate
* Interpret and synthesize large volumes of information and complex financial, legal and technical language into easily comprehensible information.
* Analyze prospective donor information and succinctly present results as reports, charts, tables, and other visual aids
* Compose profiles and briefings in support of, or as requested by, the University and University Relations Leadership.
* Proactively work with frontline fundraisers in the review of data associated with prospects, ensuring accuracy in recording strategy, ratings, asks, philanthropic interests, and next actions in multiple systems.
* Ensure fundraisers are informed and alerted regarding new information about the gift capacity and funding interests of top prospects and potential prospects.
* Work collaboratively with and as a liaison to more than 75+ field fundraisers and senior leaders to increase the opportunity of potential leadership gift donors and provide highly customized and strategic information that helps build relationships and increase giving.
* Write research documents and reports.

Oversee Data Integrity of research, business and related information
* Utilize databases such as Advance and SalesForce.
* Review and verify database screening results when screenings are conducted.
* Develop reports and other statistical data that tracks the overall data integrity and ongoing progress of our prospects.

This is a hybrid role, requiring several days in-office each week (the other days may be worked remotely). As you work to directly support the mission of Notre Dame, we are working to support you. To learn more about working at the University of Notre Dame, from our inclusive environment, professional growth opportunities, and outstanding benefits programs (including our amazing 403B, educational benefits, and health programs), visit our HR Homepage to learn more.

(*LI-POST)

* Bachelor’s Degree
* 2+ years of professional work experience.
* Strong financial analysis skills to identify and interpret assets.
* Skills to present complex materials and concepts to management, peers and campus-wide fundraisers.
* Ability to consider second and third-order implications of research findings; Familiarity/interest in financial markets and the business world.
* Decision making skills to prioritize tasks, manage time, anticipate problems, manage multiple projects and meet multiple deadlines.
* Strong written and oral communication skills.
* Ability to synthesize information from a variety of sources to draw conclusions and provide recommendations.
* Enthusiasm for discovering new information.

* Experience using information databases and search techniques related to prospect research.
* Knowledge of capacity rating systems and demonstrated experience providing capacity estimates.
* Working knowledge and understanding of fundraising and donor relations concepts, principles, techniques, procedures and practices.
* Working knowledge of current prospect research technologies and databases.
* Experience using Ellucian Advance and/or CRM alumni and donor database.
* Working knowledge and understanding of best practices related to prospect research and fundraising.
* Experience conceptualizing, developing and implementing proactive prospecting methodologies to identify potential major gift donors.
* Advanced analytical skills in order to synthesize a high volume of information from a variety of sources and perform complex analysis to interpret financial data and individual wealth indicators, identify philanthropic patterns, and relationships among individuals, corporations and foundations.