Philanthropic Research and Portfolio Advisor
American Ancestors is a national center for family history, heritage & culture based on Newbury Street in Boston and one of the world’s top destinations for family history research, according to USA Today. It is the global brand of New England Historic Genealogical Society, America’s oldest and largest genealogical society, founded in 1845. American Ancestors serves more than 500,000 members and subscribers and millions of online users engaged in family history nationally and around the world through its website AmericanAncestors.org with more than ten billion names in its databases.
With spaces and resources dedicated to advancing family history, including the Brim-DeForest Library, the Family Heritage Experience, the R. Stanton Avery Special Collections, the Brue Family Learning Center, the 10Million Names Project, and the Wyner Family Jewish Heritage Center, we also maintain a publishing division that produces original genealogical research, scholarship, and educational materials. We strive to connect with our members and the public in meaningful ways, serving as respected expert genealogists and historians who care deeply about helping people.
The Prospect Research and Portfolio Advisor plays a central role in driving strategic fundraising by identifying, evaluating, and tracking high-potential donors. This role combines traditional prospect research with cutting-edge data analytics and artificial intelligence to provide the development team with actionable insights. This is a full-time, non-exempt hourly position located at our beautiful headquarters on Newbury Street in Boston.
Some of the outstanding benefits for the full-time position include medical, dental, vision, AFLAC, life insurance, generous paid time off, paid holidays, Employee Assistance Program, tuition reimbursement, FSA, 403(b) retirement plan, and so much more!
Under the direction of the Director of Advancement, this role is responsible for managing donor pipeline development, optimizing major and leadership gift portfolios, and maximizing the effectiveness of fundraising strategies using advanced tools such as predictive AI platforms that aggregate donor behavior, wealth indicators, and philanthropic trends.
Job Duties
Prospect Research (40%)· Conduct in-depth research using DonorSearch and other tools to build comprehensive donor profiles, including giving history, biographical data, affiliations, business interests, and philanthropic priorities.
· Prepare prospect summaries for gift officers and leadership ahead of donor meetings and events.
· Electronic screening: periodically have the names of new members, donors, event participants and other contacts screened through DonorSearch and record resulting information into constituent records on Tessitura. Analyze these discovery prospects, identify leadership, and major gift prospects, and recommend assignments to portfolios.
· Maintain up-to-date constituent records in the Tessitura, posting new intelligence and wealth indicators surfaced via AI and manual research.
· Strategize and support the moves management process and systems to ensure that donors receive timely touchpoints.
· Provide gift officers with opportunities of cultivation and stewardship touch points within each portfolio.
· Conduct research on corporations and foundations. Utilize relationship mapping tools to find key relationships between board and council members and institutions.
New Prospect Research Tools (30%)
· Leverage AI-based donor research platforms to identify high-potential individual, corporate, and foundation prospects based on predictive modeling, wealth indicators, behavioral patterns, and philanthropic likelihood scores.
· Utilize outputs to generate real-time donor insights, segment audiences for targeted cultivation, and prioritize outreach strategies.
· Collaborate with development leadership for gift officer pipelines and major gift planning.
· Continuously evaluate the performance and effectiveness of research tools; test new features, recommend upgrades, and help assess ROI for prospecting systems.
· Serve as the internal expert on donor research platforms, providing training to staff and recommending strategies for broader use.
Portfolio Strategy & Pipeline Management (20%)
· Work closely with major gifts and planned giving staff to assign and balance portfolios based on capacity ratings, engagement scores, and stage of cultivation.
· Lead quarterly portfolio review meetings to assess donor progression, identify bottlenecks, and recommend strategies for stewardship or re-engagement.
· Produce portfolio dashboards, reports, and analytics to support decision-making, and frontline performance tracking.
Advancement Operations (10%)
· Serve as back-up to the Advancement Coordinator in the processing of gifts, pledges, and the generating of receipts and acknowledgments when the coordinator is unavailable and/or when the volume of incoming mail requires such assistance.
· Partner with colleagues in IT and digital engagement to ensure integration between AI systems, CRM, and communications tools.
· Assist with quarterly events and Annual Report as needed.
· Provide additional assistance to members of the Advancement Team as requested.
Qualifications:
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A minimum of 3+ years prospect research, portfolio management, and data analysis experience in Advancement or a related field.
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Critical thinking skills related to evaluating prospect capacity and connection and to improving internal processes with a high level of efficiency and meticulousness.
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Experience with Tessitura CRM and DonorSearch screening tool or other sophisticated CRM databases.
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Proficiency with a broad range of research techniques, including asset evaluation and confirmation, assigning capacity ratings, and the use of other appropriate sources and methods.
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Proven ability to analyze and synthesize high volumes of information, using data in a strategic way.
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Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks simultaneously, while providing accurate, high-quality information under tight target dates.
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Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with colleagues. Ability to build strong collaborative relationships across the Advancement office.
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Ability to work independently and collaboratively within a complex organization.
How To Apply:
Please send resume and a compelling cover letter, to Michelle Major, Director of Human Resources: [email protected]
No phone calls or recruiters please.
