Research Manager

Convention of States; United States; Remote; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Convention of States is seeking a Research Manager to identify donor prospects, analyze data, and supervise the research team to support the External Relations department in donor cultivation and major gifts.

You will build prospect profiles in Salesforce, perform wealth screening analyses, and collaborate with Major Gift Officers to align research with active solicitation pipelines. Strong analytical skills and discretion with sensitive information are essential.

Qualifications

• Experience in prospect research or donor research.
• Experience supervising or managing a team preferred.
• Strong ability to analyze data and identify trends.
• Proficiency with Excel, Google Workspace, and donor research tools.
• Excellent written communication and report writing abilities.
• Strong cross-functional communication with frontline fundraising staff.

Responsibilities

• Identify donor prospects and conduct wealth screening, capacity, and philanthropic history analyses.
• Analyze donor and prospect data to identify trends and new giving opportunities.
• Supervise and manage the research team, assign requests, set priorities, review work for accuracy.
• Build and maintain prospect profiles and research reports in Salesforce.
• Partner with Major Gift Officers and program managers to align research with cultivation and pipelines.
• Develop and document research methodologies and SOPs; maintain quality standards.
• Produce periodic reports on donor trends, pipeline health, and team output.

Skills

Prospect research

Data analysis

Team supervision

Excel

Google Workspace

Salesforce

Report writing

Cross-functional communication

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

The Research Manager is responsible for identifying and researching donor prospects, compiling and analyzing data to assist the External Relations team in identifying potential donors and new prospects, and supervising the other members of the research team. This position requires strong organizational and analytical skills, a keen eye for detail, and the ability to handle sensitive information with discretion.This full-time role reports to the Senior Vice President of External Relations.

Requirements

• Conduct in-depth prospect research, including wealth screening, giving capacity, and philanthropic history.
• Analyze donor and prospect data to identify trends, patterns, and new major gift and mid-level giving opportunities for the External Relations team.
• Supervise and manage the research team, including assigning research requests, setting priorities, and reviewing work for accuracy and completeness.
• Build and maintain prospect profiles and research reports in Salesforce, ensuring data is accurate, current, and properly documented.
• Partner with Major Gift Officers, the Monthly Donor Program Manager, and Prospecting Call Agent to align research priorities with active cultivation, prospecting, and solicitation pipelines.
• Develop and maintain research methodologies, quality standards, and standard operating procedures for the research team.
• Compile periodic reports summarizing donor trends, prospect pipeline health, and research team output for External Relations leadership.
• Other related tasks, as assigned.

Skills and Experience:

• Experience in prospect research, donor research, or a related development/fundraising analytics role, with prior experience supervising or managing a team preferred.
• Strong ability to analyze data, identify trends, and recommend strategic action.
• Experience with databases and DMS systems (Salesforce experience is preferred).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Google Workspace, and donor research tools.
• Demonstrated ability to manage and prioritize a research team's workload, delegate effectively, and review work product for accuracy.
• Experience developing or documenting research methodologies and standard operating procedures.
• Excellent written communication and report writing abilities.
• Strong cross-functional communication skills, with experience partnering with gift officers, program managers, or other frontline fundraising staff.