FAQs - what

Visit the 'What is fResource' section of the site located in the 'About' menu item for the answer.

Prospect research is continually evolving as it gains greater recognition in fundraising circles and so there are now more things to think about but also more support networks available.

Below is a list of key things to think about when starting a new role as a prospect research/development officer. This is by no means a complete list, but will give you enough to think about to get started.

• Develop a template for researching individual profiles/major donors - this helps both the researcher to clearly define research parameters, and anyone requesting research to know just what information can be collated. Example of a research profile template.

• Arrange to meet key staff in your organisation - internal networks can be crucial sources of information, particularly if you are to gain knowledge and understanding of how these networks can be benficial to you as a researcher, as well as making people aware that you exist! Fundraising is often an overlooked part of an organisation, so it's important you let people know that you will be on the look out for information from them from time to time - but obviously be polite!

• Go through your department's files - particularly if they have donor files as this will give you an idea of the kind of people your organisation has previously/is working with. Paper files often make for interesting reading as the can shed light on the type of relationship the donor has with your organisation. Remember that commications of this nature will often hold personal information that must be kept secure. Also go through your organisations annual reports and publications to give you a much better idea of what goes on and where.

• Resource assessment - one of the first things you should do is to assess which resources your department/organisation currently has and evaluate which products you will need over and above these, to be able to do your job properly. As you'll see from the fResource database, there are literally hundreds of useful resources, but be selective, talk to other researchers and make sure you get the right tools (particularly if you have a limited budget). Although there are many products, there are certain resources people take as standard for particular areas of research (Trustfunding for trusts in the UK for example).