The Director of Prospect Management and Research is responsible for strategic planning, policy and procedure development, and relationship-based development research in support of Art Center’s fundraising goals.   The Director will develop and implement Art Center’s prospect management systems and procedures, translating a vast array of information and activities related to a dynamic prospect pool into maximized fundraising opportunities for the Development team. The position will report to the Associate Vice President of Advancement Services.

Essential Functions

• Partner with fundraisers to provide timely, accurate and analytical information to inform the fundraising process—this specialized research is used as a basis for interaction among fundraisers, senior College administrators, and major donors and prospects
• Identify, research and analyze new and existing donors and prospects for major gift cultivation and solicitation through review and strategic analysis of media, financial documents, files, databases, online information systems and other resources
• Prepare thorough, accurate and concisely written research reports to include biographical and financial information, potential for philanthropic support, areas of interest, and affiliations of individuals; as well as research on corporations and foundations
• Administer efficient research and prospect management systems and processes; ensure protocols are in place, adhere to all legal privacy requirements and ethical standards upheld by regulatory bodies and professional organizations
• Develop the tools necessary to maintain and monitor an informative prospect pipeline that relates directly to the goals and targets of the Development team; provide relevant information and analysis to the Senior VP of Development and External Affairs, the Associate Vice President of Advancement Services and the Development team as required
• Lead the implementation of prospect screening and data mining projects in order to maximize the impact of data and information
• Maintain and update prospect assignments
• Proactively identify new donors
• In consultation with the Associate Vice President  of Advancement Services, develop and implement policies, procedures and standards, templates, research request and tracking system, methods, and rating formulas related to prospect research
• Organize and manage the Development research library, including reference materials, online services, and prospect research files. Continually updates resources with the most current technologies and techniques
• Instruct and educate Development staff and other members of the College in the methodology and resources of prospect research and management

• Degree in Library Sciences or a related field
• Minimum five years of progressive experience, preferably in higher education or complex non-profit environment
• Demonstrated understanding of major gifts fundraising and how prospect management supports the College’s major gifts efforts
• Initiative, good judgment and sensitivity to confidential information; ability to formulate, develop and implement proactive research strategies to identify new major gift prospects
• Understanding and demonstrated competencies in the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA) skills sets are highly desirable
• Broad background in prospect research, including proactive prospecting and screening methodologies
• Demonstrated mastery in the collection, analysis, interpretation and evaluation of information
• Highly developed communication and presentation skills
• Experience maintaining information management systems, and creating policies, procedures and training materials
• Advanced Microsoft Office experience
• Raiser’s Edge database experience is highly desirable, as is the ability to use a variety of reporting and publishing tools and strong familiarity with relational databases
• Demonstrated success in supporting a high-impact customer-focused service environment

Send resume with cover letter stating salary history or salary expectations to Attn: Human Resources, Art Center College of Design, 1700 Lida St, Pasadena, CA 91103 or email hr@artcenter.edu.

Art Center College of Design is committed to excellence through the establishment of a diverse faculty and staff that best represents our student body and its surrounding communities. Information about the College may be found on www.artcenter.edu.