Prospect Research and Development Specialist

Opt For Healthy Living; California, Northern (MO, KY); Hybrid; USD 59,000 - 86,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Premium benefits package

15 paid holidays per year

Job summary

Cal Poly Humboldt is seeking a Prospect Research and Development Specialist who identifies new prospects and provides research to support Directors of Development in engaging, cultivating, and soliciting gifts.

This role also handles administrative duties within Development and the broader Advancement Team, including serving on the division’s Administrative Team, ensuring database integrity, and generating philanthropy reports from the CRM.

Qualifications

• Equivalent to a bachelor's degree in a related field; two years of relevant experience required.
• Advanced degree may substitute for required experience.
• Experience in non-profit or higher education is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Donor prospect research and maintaining database integrity to prepare donor pools.
• Administrative and clerical support for University Advancement and coordination.
• Assist with fundraising proposals, correspondence, and documentation.

Skills

Prospect research

Donor management software

Analytical skills

Organizational skills

Communication skills

Leadership

Education

Bachelor's degree in related field

Tools

CRM database

Job description

Prospect Research and Development Specialist

Job no: 559813
Work type: Staff
Location: Humboldt
Categories: Unit 9 - CSUEU - Technical Support Services, Probationary, Full Time, On-site (work in-person at business location)

Development

Job # 559813

Close Date: October 6, 2026

At Cal Poly Humboldt, bold hearts and open minds shape the future.

Founded in 1913, Cal Poly Humboldt began as a small college for teachers. Today Humboldt has grown into a comprehensive university with rigorous science and liberal arts programs. Designated a polytechnic in 2022, Cal Poly Humboldt provides hands‑on, impactful educational opportunities that lead to meaningful, measurable outcomes for the individual, for the state, and the world.

Cal Poly Humboldt is proud to have more than 6,000 students of all backgrounds spread across 61 majors, 13 graduate programs, and 4 credential programs — all of whom contribute passion and creativity within their fields and set the stage for a future grounded in equity and sustainability. Hands‑on learning, inspired teaching, ground‑breaking research, and thought‑provoking creative activity happen daily at Humboldt.

Finding a better future is a task for the bold and open, the down‑to‑earth and visionary. Cal Poly Humboldt strives to cultivate these qualities in leaders, innovators, and scholars in every field. As part of the California State University (CSU) system, Cal Poly Humboldt is part of one of the nation’s largest and most impactful public university systems, where education, innovation, and service create meaningful change for California and beyond. See what it’s like to work at the CSU—watch our video and imagine your future at Cal Poly Humboldt.

(Job #559813) Advancement Professional II, Prospect Research and Development Specialist, CSU Classification Salary Range: $5,274-$7,684 per month (Step 1-Step 20), Anticipated Hiring Salary: $5,274 per month (Step 1). Final salary placement is commensurate with experience, internal equity, and budget considerations. This is a full‑time, benefited, exempt, 12‑month pay plan, permanent position with a one‑year probationary period in the Department of Development. This position comes with a premium benefits package that includes outstanding vacation, medical, dental, and vision plans, life insurance, voluntary pre‑tax health and dependent care reimbursement accounts, a fee waiver education program, membership in the California Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), and 15 paid holidays per year. Additional benefits information can be found at https://www.humboldt.edu/hr/employee-benefits .

Position Summary:

Under the general supervision of the Associate Vice President of Development, the Prospect Research and Development Specialist identifies new prospects and provides research to support Directors of Development to make informed decisions to engage, cultivate, and solicit gifts from prospects and existing donors.

The Prospect Research and Development Specialist is also responsible for administrative and communication duties within Development and the greater Advancement Team, including being a part of the division’s Administrative Team.

Key Responsibilities:

Donor prospect research and database integrity (45%)

• Researching wealth capacity and inclination to give to the University for identified donors and prospective donors using publicly available information.
• Using the database to craft and maintain a prospective pool of likely individual donors for major gifts, annual gifts, and planned gifts.
• Conducting foundation and corporate prospect research to identify, evaluate, and qualify potential funding partners, analyzing philanthropic priorities, giving capacity, grant histories, and alignment with institutional fundraising priorities.
• Creating research briefings for fundraisers and campus leadership when they meet with donors and donor prospects.
• Guiding Directors of Development through tracking activities to progress donors through the “giving pipeline.”
• Generating philanthropy reports from the CRM database.

Administrative and clerical support for University Advancement (50%)

• Preparing and composing correspondence, reviewing and proofing various Word documents, PowerPoints, Adobe documents, and other materials as needed for fundraising proposals and documentation.
• Generally assisting with overall day-to-day department coordination in a team environment.

Other Duties as Assigned (5%)

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Associated with this Position Include:

• Working knowledge and understanding of advancement principles and current best practices.
• Demonstrates competence in independently applying judgment to resolve non-standard problems and issues. Includes interpretation of applicable regulations, standards, and guidelines.
• Strong analytical and organizational skills to plan, organize, prioritize, and ensure the successful completion of fundraising campaigns or events within time and budget constraints.
• Strong communications and interpersonal skills to effectively coordinate multiple stakeholder relationships and guide the development of appropriate fundraising and promotional materials.
• Ability to effectively lead and train others.
• Proficiency in using advancement or donor management software and financial systems.

As Related to Major Responsibilities:

• Working knowledge of general practices, industry trends and best practices, including topics relating to sensitivity to cross-cultural perspectives and experiences.
• Ability to learn, interpret, and apply a wide variety of policies and procedures relating to and impacting the applicable program, organizational unit, and/or administrative specialty.
• Knowledge of basic methods and procedures for research and analysis and the ability to apply them.
• Ability to organize and plan work and projects including handling multiple priorities.
• Ability to make independent decisions and exercise sound judgment.
• Ability to compile, write, and present reports related to program or administrative specialty.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships within and outside the work group and serve as a liaison for the organizational unit.
• Ability to prepare concise, logical and grammatically correct analytical reports.
• Ability to prioritize assignments and achieve work results under rigid deadlines in an environment with competing work demands.
• Ability to gather, analyze and synthesize data and information from various sources, select pertinent information and integrate the information into reports providing conclusions and recommendations.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with community members and donors.
• Ability to prioritize assignments and achieve work results under rigid deadlines in an environment with competing work demands.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Equivalent to a bachelor's degree in a related field and two years of relevant experience. Additional experience which demonstrates acquired and successfully applied knowledge and abilities shown above may be substituted for the required education on a year-for-year basis. An advanced degree in a related field may be substituted for the required experience on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Preferred experience working in in a non‑profit or higher education.

2. Experience working on a fundraising team