Senior Director, Prospect Research – Donor Intelligence

Young Life

. Set and own the multi-year strategy for Young Life's donor intelligence and prospect development function .

Posted 10/17/2026full-timeRemote • Colorado • United StatesSenior💰 $98,200 - $136,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in donor intelligence and prospect development, with a strong focus on fundraising analytics, CRM strategy, and team leadership. Proven ability to manage complex initiatives and build predictive models for donor segmentation and pipeline development.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Prospect Research ManagementFundraising AnalyticsCRM Strategy with SalesforcePredictive ModelingTeam Leadership and Development

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Predictive ModelingFundraising AnalyticsPortfolio StrategyPipeline AnalysisWealth ScreeningData VisualizationStatistical LiteracyCampaign PlanningBudget ManagementResearch Standards

Soft Skills

Clear CommunicationChange ManagementEthical Decision-MakingTeam ScalingStaff Development

Tools & Technologies

SalesforcePower BISnowflakeIWaveLexis NexisDonorSearchWealthEngineDAFinitiveWindfallCRM Configuration

Certifications & Qualifications

CFREAPRA Standards CertificationAASP Best Practices Certification

Industry Keywords

Donor IntelligenceProspect DevelopmentFundraiser EnablementFaith-Based NonprofitYouth-Serving NonprofitCapital CampaignEthical Prospect ResearchDonor Bill of RightsCampaign ExperienceOrganizational Strategic Planning

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Set and own the multi-year strategy for Young Life's donor intelligence and prospect development function
Advise executive leadership and fundraisers on major- and principal-gift prospect strategy
Build business cases for tools, data sources, and staffing investments; manage the function's budget
Represent prospect development in campaign planning, board and Executive Campaign Committee preparation, and organizational strategic planning
Oversee identification and in-depth research of major and principal gift prospects
Own the wealth screening program, including vendor selection, screening cadence, and external-data validation against CRM records
Set research turnaround-time and service-level standards by prospect tier
Oversee due diligence for naming opportunities, high-risk gifts, and reputational concerns
Own the prospect pipeline/development-cycle model and CRM stage definitions
Lead portfolio construction and regular portfolio reviews; establish portfolio governance and reassignment processes
Track major and principal gift solicitation activity and closure rates for pipeline health reporting
Build predictive and descriptive models to prioritize prospects and segment the donor file
Own reporting and dashboards on pipeline health, portfolio penetration, research turnaround, and fundraising forecasting
Translate CRM and external data into actionable segmentation for annual-giving-to-major-gift pipeline development
Hire, manage, and develop prospect research and prospect management strategists
Establish workflows, request intake, and service standards for gift officers and leadership
Build a culture of professional growth through APRA and AASP standards, training, and certification
Manage teams of individual contributors and/or supervisors; participate in hiring, training, mentorship, career development, and performance management
Partner with Operations, GMET, Finance, fundraisers, Marcom, Community Network, and The Table Planning Team on data integrity, CRM configuration, reporting, segmentation, and donor journey needs

Requirements

What you’ll need

Bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college, preferably in a job-related major field of study, or equivalent combination of education and experience
Minimum twelve (12) years of relevant professional experience, including leading and managing complex initiatives or programs with outcome-focused deliverables
Minimum five (5) years of managerial experience
10+ years in advancement/development services (fundraiser enablement), including experience leading, not just managing, a team
Direct experience managing both researchers and analysts as distinct disciplines under one function
Ownership-level experience in both Prospect Research and Prospect Management
Campaign experience on a comprehensive or capital campaign of $50M or more
CRM strategy and leadership experience, ideally with Salesforce
Ownership of fundraising analytics, including predictive modeling and enterprise reporting (e.g., Power BI, Snowflake, or comparable platforms)
Experience in a faith-based, parachurch, or youth-serving nonprofit environment preferred
Familiarity with wealth screening and prospecting tools such as iWave, Lexis Nexis, DonorSearch, WealthEngine, DAFinitive, Windfall, or Instrument
Familiarity with APRA's Body of Knowledge, APRA's Salary Survey benchmarks, or AASP best practices
CFRE or other relevant fundraising/analytics certification preferred
Rigorous, ethical prospect research judgment grounded in the Donor Bill of Rights
Statistical literacy, data visualization, and judgment regarding appropriate modeling use
Portfolio strategy, pipeline analysis, and cross-functional portfolio review leadership
Clear communication, change management, team scaling, ethical decision-making, and staff development
Must profess belief in Jesus Christ as personal Savior and Lord and subscribe to Young Life's required statements and policies
Must be ready, willing, and able to fulfill required ministry functions and abide by Young Life policies and practices