Senior Analyst, Research

Department

ADV Professional Schools

About the Department

The Advancement Office engages alumni (~220k), current students, parents and friends of the University through intellectual, professional and social activities on campus, around the world and online. Advancement raises $600 Million annually to support faculty and researchers, practitioners and patients, and students and programs across the University. Our work supports priorities in every division, school, department, and institute.

Prospect Development and Decision Support (PDDS) is a strategic partner to fundraising and engagement teams across the University of Chicago. We manage the research, analytics, and prospect management functions that support a strong, sustainable institutional pipeline. Our work helps staff focus their time, make informed decisions, and build meaningful relationships with donors and volunteers.

Job Summary

This role conducts biographical and financial research on individuals, corporations, and/or foundations to support fundraising. Identifies prospective donors using research and analysis through use of standard procedures. Forecasts and measures the effectiveness of the fiscal year and overall campaign progress, which will help employees in the job acquire higher-level knowledge and skills.

Responsibilities

• Works closely with gift officers to provide tailored research and insights that support individual fundraising strategies and enhance donor engagement.
• Reviews prospect data and provide strategic recommendations based upon additional context or research to enhance engagement and drive results.
• Partners with the Prospect Development teams to understand portfolio and institutional pipeline needs, ensuring optimal allocation and management of prospects and information.
• Studies economic and philanthropic trends to understand their impact on fundraising strategies and provides actionable insights to the organization.
• Stays informed about University of Chicago priorities, faculty, news, and initiatives, using this knowledge to inform and improve fundraising strategies.
• Offers strategic recommendations based on research findings to help gift officers and leadership make informed decisions.
• Keeps abreast of changes and trends in the philanthropic landscape to anticipate potential opportunities and challenges for the organization.
• Ensures the accuracy and completeness of prospect data, continuously updating and refining information to support effective research.
• Develops systems to prepare and automate detailed briefing materials for meetings with specific donors, prospects, and key stakeholders.
• Assists in identifying and mitigating reputational risks associated with fundraising activities.
• Applies predictive analytics and other advanced methodologies to identify new prospects and enhance existing prospect strategies.
• Performs in-depth research on philanthropic trends, major gift prospects, and potential funding opportunities.
• Provides personalized research support to individual gift officers, helping them understand donor motivations and develop effective engagement strategies.
• Seeks opportunities for professional development that will enhance job performance including attending webinars, seminars, building networks within the University and with colleagues at peer institutions.
• Develops, maintains, and updates information on new and existing prospects, solving problems as they arise.
• Works with prospect management University-wide to design and execute strategies to grow the size of the prospect pool with a moderate level of guidance and direction.
• May provide guidance to analysts, train staff members on fundraising, report writing, and research.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Education:

Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.

Work Experience:

Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Certifications:

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Preferred Qualifications

Education:

• Coursework in project management, business, finance, economics, analytics, library and information science, or non-profit management.

Experience:

• A minimum of two years of work experience in nonprofit management, development, alumni relations, marketing, public relations, sales or similar professional field.
• Professional experience in financial sectors.

Technical Skills or Knowledge:

• Demonstrated skill and knowledge of, or ability to learn quickly, the internal workings of