Director, Prospect Intelligence

JOB SUMMARY

As our Director, Prospect Intelligence, you will serve as a vital strategic partner within the Institutional Advancement team, acting as the primary engine for proactive donor identification and actionable business intelligence. Every day you will l everage sophisticated research methodologies and data analytics to uncover hidden philanthropic potential and qualify the next generation of major gift supporters for the Rhode Island School of Design. To be successful in this role, you must synthesize complex financial, biographical, and relational data into high-level briefing materials that empower frontline fundraisers to navigate the donor pipeline with precision.

By merging traditional investigative research with modern predictive modeling and wealth screening analysis, the Director ensures the institution’s fundraising efforts focus on the most promising opportunities, ultimately driving growth in the donor pool and the long-term success of RISD’s philanthropic mission. As a key leader within Institutional Advancement, the Director provides strategic direction, mentorship, and direct supervision to the prospect intelligence team. You will foster a collaborative, high-performance culture, manage workloads and priorities, and align the team's research and analytical capabilities with the institution's overarching fundraising goals.

Through proactive leadership, the Director ensures staff continue to develop professionally while establishing metrics for accountability and excellence in data-driven prospect development. ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS/DUTIES: Applied Prospect Research & Identification: Deep-Dive Profiling: Proactively conduct comprehensive research on individuals, corporations, and foundations using standard industry resources like LexisNexis, iWave, and Donor Search. Wealth Screening Management: Effectively utilize and analyze wealth screenings to identify new opportunities for gift officer qualification.

Capacity Rating: Implement qualification rating processes to evaluate financial giving capacity and affinity for RISD. Volunteer Research: Identify and profile potential candidates for the Board of Trustees, Board of Governors, and other key volunteer leadership roles. Data Analytics & Pipeline Support: Predictive Modeling: Employ data analytics and predictive modeling to explain donor trends and predict future giving behavior. Pipeline Replenishment: Establish and maintain a process to ensure frontline fundraisers have a steady stream of new prospects to replace disqualified leads.

Support collaboration between the Annual Giving and Major Gifts teams and recommend prospect moves management where appropriate. Visual Analysis: Apply descriptive statistics and data visualization to communicate prospect data to internal audiences. Operational Support: Database Maintenance: When necessary, use Raiser’s Edge/NXT to record database coding, track potential prospects, and run queries/reports Constituent Record Integrity: Lead the…

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