Development Research Analyst

University of Colorado • Denver, CO

1d • $64,000 - $68,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Development Research Analyst supports efforts to increase fundraising by identifying new donor prospects, providing fundraisers with timely information on existing donor prospects, using data and analysis to help fundraising leaders inform strategy, and more. They work closely with fundraising partners on campuses and are assigned as liaison to certain fundraising units. This position is a liaison to the Boulder campus, but the Research & Analytics team as a whole supports four campuses and the President’s Office. Incumbents are expected to seek opportunities for professional development that enhance job performance, develop and maintain a network of contacts with other prospect research professionals nationwide, and understand and apply national best practices, processes, and technologies. See Apra, our professional organization, for more information on the prospect development profession.
This position can be either hybrid (part work from home, part in-office) or fully in-office. It requires 1-2 days a month spent on campus, meeting with fundraising partners. Incumbents are also expected to attend occasional team meetings in System Advancement’s Denver office. System Advancement provides central management and coordination of the back office functions to support the campus-based fundraising field staff. These functions include research, marketing and communications, gift processing, database management, estate gift planning, and other services. Most members of System Advancement, including the Research & Analytics team, work the hybrid model, so most team interaction will be virtual.
This position is exempt from the State of Colorado Classified Staff system and reports to the Assistant Director of Research & Analytics.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited institution of higher education or equivalent professional experience (professional experience may be substituted for the educational requirement on a year-for-year basis).
• One (1) year of equivalent experience related to fundraising, research, data analysis, management and maintenance
• Ability to utilize internet navigation and research tools (e.g., on-line, printed, etc.)
• Ability to establish and maintain partnerships with development staff
• Ability to analyze and synthesize complex financial and/or constituent information
• Ability to follow ethical guidelines and uphold high ethical standards
• Ability to deal with confidential material
• Ability to communicate verbally and in writing
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks and projects simultaneously, and to be cognizant of and address details.
• Ability to analyze issues and solve problems.
• Knowledge of Securities and Exchange Commission documents and financial terminology
• Proficient personal computer skills, especially as they relate to donor tracking software and the Microsoft Office Suite of products (i.g. Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, etc.)

Nice To Haves

• Two (2) years’ equivalent experience, as stated above
• Non-profit experience, preferably in a higher education fundraising environment
• Experience with Salesforce Ascend donor database or similar Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system

Responsibilities

• Researches, synthesizes, and analyzes biographical and financial information on specific individuals, foundations, and corporations for major gift fundraising needs
• Follows ethical guidelines to utilize intuitive and creative approaches in all aspects of research
• Critically assesses information identified to determine relevance
• Utilizes print, online media, and online vendor tools and screenings to identify new high potential individual, foundation, or corporate donor prospects
• Locates timely information about alumni, business transactions, market trends, and/or and higher education status or affiliation
• Identifies potential prospects as related to pertinent situations and projects
• Serves as a liaison between Advancement and assigned system or campus partners by meeting with stakeholders as necessary to build relationships and effectively collaborate with unit partners
• Along with the rest of the team, supports CU President with event bios, briefings for personal meetings, prospect lists, and analyses as needed
• Collaborates with fundraisers and internal partners to research, build, and maintain quality prospect pools and to move prospects through the process of identification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship
• Maintains an active awareness of organizational vision, mission, goals, objectives, and directions of CU Advancement, the CU System, and its four campuses
• Participates in strategy meetings to share pertinent information already obtained, determine research needs, and ensure research efforts provide useful information that supports fundraising efforts
• Participates in trainings with fundraising staff as needed to educate and increase awareness of services and information available through their own efforts, and information that can be obtained through research staff, materials, and databases.
• Takes turn managing request queue, including negotiating deadlines and scope of work, keeping track of upcoming deadlines, and quickly completing low-effort research or training requests
• Proactively develops new ideas and projects
• Participates in special projects as requested
• Conducts descriptive analysis projects for system and campus fundraising partners and leadership, including analysis of giving patterns, historic giving and projections, pool demographics, etc.
• Creates data visualizations or narratives and presents on results as needed
• Updates donor database (Salesforce Ascend) with information on donors, alumni, and prospects obtained through research
• Analyzes, prioritizes, and disseminates results of database screenings with the purpose of informing decision-making and increasing private support
• Maintains a high level of professionalism with sensitive and confidential information
• Develops and maintains a network of professional contacts with the purpose of cultivating an understanding of national best practices, principles, techniques, and technologies for fundraising performance
• Learns about technologies, products, and tactics that could improve the effectiveness of the CU Advancement program and applies relevant information to grow and achieve an industry-leading program

Benefits

• No-cost or low-cost medical & dental plan options, some inclusive of IVF assistance.
• Disability, Life, Vision Insurance options.
• Multiple retirement planning options including a mandatory 401(a) plan where CU contributes 10% of your gross pay, a 401k or 403b plan and a 457 deferred compensation plan.
• Pre-tax savings plans, such as Health care and Dependent care flexible spending accounts.
• Embrace a healthy work-life balance with ample sick and vacation leave, along with at least 12 paid holidays. This includes a dedicated week off for winter break.
• 6 weeks of parental leave to adjust to the joys of parenthood.
• A tuition benefit program for you and/or your dependents.
• Free RTD EcoPass and Free Onsite Parking at our 1800 Grant Street Office.
• Many additional perks & programs with the CU Advantage.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Entry Level