Fasten your seat belts; advancement research in the future will be conducted at lightening-fast speed! Clearly, this statement is not meant to be an all-encompassing, thought-provoking reflection on the future of the profession. However, in order to understand the trends and influences that may reshape the delivery of research services in the years ahead, it is beneficial to consider the past for context. I have been happily immersed in advancement research for more than 14 years. At that time, it was not unusual to spend five days researching an establishment family to produce a 21-page profile in Microsoft Word format. Biographies and business exposes were used to glean every piece of minutia about an individual that could be located. Today, many of us experience just-in-time research as we complete a profile in less than four hours due to a sudden, urgent request. We hone our search strategies in order to obtain only the most salient data that can be located on the Internet in a timely, efficient manner. We question the efficacy of the traditional profile format as we contend with new technologies and respond to our hyper-connected executive leadership. So, what has changed in 14 years? My responsibilities as an advancement researcher remain the same in that I conduct research on donor prospects to contribute to the fundraising or revenue-generating goals of my organization. Rather, it is the research and prospect methodologies used to achieve those revenue goals that have significantly changed over the years, and will continue to do so in the future. Fast forward to 2021, and advancement researchers continue to perform a vital service to the nonprofit community as strategic partners in philanthropy. The need for accurate information provision to inform the decision making of advancement professionals and the performance of proactive research strategies is critical to the lifeblood of the organization. But, the opportunity to offer greater strategic guidance has created a niche for the hybrid researcher or research practitioner. In this senior role, the research practitioner’s performance transcends the tactics of donor information provision and prospect identification to reflect that of an enhanced analytical nature. The role relies on the experience and natural insight of the research practitioner to qualify the philanthropic focus of a donor prospect and to translate it into an applicable philanthropic donor strategy in close consultation with the fundraiser. Such a role requires a revised intellectual approach to, and understanding of, philanthropy. This difference in perspective can be seen in the basic example of how an advancement researcher might typically share information with fundraisers about a transformational gift made by a donor called Jackie Smith. It moves from the traditional approach of circulating the announcement about Jackie Smith’s gift as an “informational FYI” to reviewing the activities around the donation and summarizing the speeches to enable better understanding of Jackie Smith’s motivations. It is in his summary activity that the need to know information is detailed. Another aspect of the research practitioner’s role is undertaking strategic analysis in support of organizational goal planning. In response to the increasingly competitive environment in which the nonprofit community functions, the research practitioner investigates and leverages emerging trends and concepts to stimulate dialogue at the goal setting stage. The research practitioner also monitors peer organizations to determine their effectiveness and efficiencies. For example, obtaining and analyzing information from a peer organization’s annual reports, Web sites and press releases will allow a nonprofit to compare and assess the strengths and weaknesses of various programs. An ability to identify linkages between current business issues, such as governance and accountability, and outcomes relevant to the nonprofit community can support the setting of standards and the establishment of best practices. This enhanced role reflects numerous abilities currently listed in the APRA Skills Set for Advanced Prospect Research. It builds on analytical proficiencies and expands the researcher’s scope by merging certain role responsibilities of an advancement researcher and that of a fundraiser. It enhances and heightens the collaborative aspect that researchers and fundraisers currently enjoy. This new role optimizes organizational resources as it allows a course of donor action to be developed based on factual assessment in conjunction with the expertise of the fundraiser, and it provides the fundraiser with more time to focus on solicitation calls. Advancement researchers must continually strengthen their knowledge to ensure career relevancy. The evolution of the advancement researcher’s role represents a professional development opportunity to contribute in an increasingly analytical and strategic manner to the benefit of the organization. It is a logical development, given the position advancement researchers serve as gatekeepers to, and providers of, value-added information. The future of advancement research will see an evolution of role responsibilities that are only limited by one’s ability to envision new directions that advancement researchers can apply their skill sets and specialized knowledge of the nonprofit community to benefit the sector.  Barbara Fanning is the director of Research Services at SickKids Foundation in Toronto.

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