Director of Prospect Development

Job Summary

The Director of Prospect Development oversees all aspects of prospect research, management, and data analysis for the Boise State University Foundation. This role leads the process of identifying, researching, and tracking prospects for annual, leadership annual, major, principal, and planned gifts. The director partners with the Foundation’s CEO, AVP for Development, and Foundation staff to design and implement strategies for engaging individuals, foundations, and organizations with significant philanthropic potential.

Key Responsibilities

Key responsibilities include providing research, reports, and detailed analyses to support the identification, qualification, cultivation, solicitation, and stewardship of donors; leading the strategy to discover new prospects; assigning prospects to gift officers in collaboration with Foundation leadership; compiling and presenting research briefs to university leadership; and ensuring the effective movement of prospects through the development pipeline.

Department Overview

Boise State University Foundation is a nonprofit Idaho organization established in 1964 to support Boise State University through fundraising and alumni engagement. The Foundation works closely with university leadership, the Boise State University Alumni Association, and the Bronco Athletic Association. The mission is to build a greater Boise State University by providing fundraising leadership and service across the university and partnering with donors and alumni to inspire private support.

Core Values

• Purpose Driven
• Relentless Excellence
• Responsible
• Collaborative

Level Scope

Spends the majority of time (50% or more) achieving organizational objectives through the coordinated achievements of subordinate staff, managing experienced professionals who exercise latitude and independence, establishing departmental goals, ensuring compliance with internal controls, and managing systems and procedures to protect departmental assets.

Essential Functions

60% of the time

• Oversee research, prospect management, and prospect data analysis activities to assist the president, board, and Foundation staff with fundraising strategies.
• Establish departmental goals and objectives, supervising the Prospect Development team members, who exercise latitude and independence in assignments.
• Work with university leadership and gift officers to create cultivation, solicitation and stewardship strategies for principal gift level prospects ($500,000+); monitor and ensure implementation of strategies.
• Serve as liaison between the president's office, Foundation CEO, and gift officers to facilitate the president’s involvement with principal gift level prospects.
• Manage movement of prospects through leadership annual giving and major gift officers’ portfolios, make prospect assignments; and monitor strategies to ensure assigned staff members are meeting goals and deadlines.
• Develop and implement methods for identifying new potential donor prospects for university philanthropic priorities.
• Act as the Foundation’s subject matter expert for the alumni/donor database’s prospect management module and related guidelines.
• Research and analyze prospect(s) background, wealth, interests, and relationship with Boise State in an effort to identify and qualify individual, corporate, and foundation prospects for the university’s priority projects.
• Utilize information obtained through the research of public records to prepare concise confidential reports, summaries, and briefs on prospects to assist the advancement staff in the development process.
• Collaborate with development staff to assist with prioritizing and managing major, planned, and principal gift prospect portfolios, with particular emphasis on identifying appropriate prospects for qualification calls.
• Prepare confidential written reports and meeting briefs for major and principal gift prospects for the president, board, and Foundation staff.
• Coordinate and guarantee quality of research projects, meeting briefs, donor profiles, etc.

35% of the time

• Make hiring recommendations and complete performance evaluations for Prospect Development team members.
• Onboard new database users and coach existing users on complex issues with the prospect management module.
• Assist the Foundation team with the implementation of new software, ensuring alignment with the Foundation’s prospect management and coordination guidelines.
• Work with external vendors to provide screening and modeling services.
• Demonstrate the ability to project future fundraising progress based on capacity, penetration, and activity of the prospect pool.
• Through professional development, keep up to date with effective research, prospect management, and prospect analytics techniques, as well as trends in the prospect development profession and the advancement/fundraising field.
• Maintain procedures supporting best practices, ethical and professional research standards, leveraging technology, data integrity, and data security.
• Maintain a working knowledge of public records, periodicals, electronic databases, and internal sources for obtaining prospect information.

5% of the time

• Perform other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities

• Demonstrate the Foundations’ core values: Collaboration, Communication, Integrity, Ownership, Continuous Improvement and Performance.
• Knowledge in leading and managing the execution of processes, projects and tactics within areas of responsibility.
• Aptitude for data analysis to identify characteristics of individual, corporate and foundation major, planned, and principal gift prospects.
• Experience with the principal tools and techniques for development research (online databases, directories, and periodicals).
• Excellent analytical skills to determine critical information for the advancement staff in the fundraising process.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, conveying complex information clearly and diplomatically while maintaining confidentiality.
• Experience in managing sensitive donor communications and records, balancing discretion and transparency.
• Strategic thinker with advanced project management capabilities, able to set and execute long-term goals amid shifting priorities.
• Thorough knowledge of ethical standards and best practices with commitment to industry guidelines (e.g., ADRP, CASE).
• Self‑motivated, results‑driven leader with initiative and adaptability to thrive in a collaborative environment.
• Record of accomplishment demonstrating initiative, creativity, and effectiveness.
• Knowledge of moves‑management concepts.
• Understanding of donor behavior and philanthropic trends.
• Excellent project management skills; attention to detail; and analytical skills.
• Proficiency with relationship management systems, prospect data resources, and other information sources in all formats.
• Proactive identification techniques and methodologies such as data segmentation, third‑party screenings, constituent ratings, and surveying.
• Broad knowledge of the university donor and alumni community.
• Working knowledge of fundraising, donor relations, and public relations concepts, principles, procedures, and techniques.
• Familiar with a broad range of research techniques including text and periodical‑based research, electronic research databases, and internet research.
• Proficient in technology platforms, including Google Workspace, CRM databases, and tools that support streamlined operations, calendar oversight, and best‑practice delivery.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree and five years’ relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience, including one year of managerial experience.

Preferred Qualifications

Preferred experience in higher education and a related field such as development, prospect research, advancement services, or library science/information sciences.

Salary and Benefits

Starting salary range for this position is $80,828.80 to $101,025.60 annually and is commensurate with experience. Boise State University provides a best‑in‑class benefits package, including:

• 12 paid holidays and university closure between Christmas and New Year’s (requires use of three vacation days)
• 12–24 annual paid vacation days for full-time professional and classified staff depending on position type and years of service
• 10.76% university contribution to your ORP retirement fund (professional and faculty employees)
• 11.96% university contribution to your PERSI retirement fund (classified employees)
• Excellent medical, dental, and other health‑related insurance coverages
• Tuition fee waiver benefits for employees, spouses and their dependents
• See our full benefits page for more information!

Required Application Materials

Please submit a cover letter indicating your interest and qualifications for the position, and attach a resume that includes employment history (including dates of employment).