Research department audits and training

Our Consulting Approach

Sometimes you just need a fresh look at things.

We’re prospect development experts, and we’re great at taking an objective look at staffing, resources, systems, org charts, and more. We learn what you will need to be successful, and we work with you to tune everything up and make sure you have the right resourcing in place to be ready for the campaign, project, or challenge ahead.

We bring two senior consultants to every research department audit we do. We (and our clients) find that gives us more of a complete view and double the insight to help you succeed.

Need training?

If you feel that your prospect research efforts aren’t quite getting you where you need to be, you should probably consider training.

Training and experience are key to whether your prospect research program will vault your fundraising staff forward or provide an invisible drag on their success.

Prospect research that is strategic and useful is far more than someone just using search engines to look up information on companies, foundations and individuals. That’s not to say that a strong foundation in effective web searching isn’t important – it is. But search engines are a very small part of the valuable resources that are available, and you need to know what’s available and how to use them skillfully.

Our trainers work one-on-one with you or your team members, either on-site or via video conferencing. We can provide 90-minute to full-day training, or we can point you to a recorded seminar on the exact topic you need, viewable at your convenience.

Case Studies

An environmental organization with members nationwide contacted HBG to learn more about our training. Their office consisted of the director, four fundraisers (including an annual fund director) and a newly-hired assistant. They were interested to learn what professionalized research could do for them and how they could incorporate it into their daily activities. The fundraisers wanted a general overview with time-saving tips, and the assistant needed more in-depth training. We went on-site to their office and provided a half-day Introduction to Prospect Research for the entire team. Included was our training booklet and a copy of Prospect Research for Fundraisers. In addition, we provided ongoing training and mentoring for the assistant over a period of weeks.

A children’s hospital asked us to provide training expertise in researching corporate and private foundations. Their team consisted of two members of the corporate and foundation relations department as well as a researcher who would be specializing in C&F research in the future. Our specialist in corporate and foundations research met with the team by phone a month prior to the training to establish their learning objectives and devise a training plan which was then approved. Using a web-based training service, the HBG trainer provided a general overview of C&F research and showed the team how to identify new prospects in both conventional and creative ways. Together they researched the prospects identified using the web and the organization’s subscription services to give the team confidence using them in the future.

Let’s Talk About Your Support Needs

Our Consulting Approach

Need training?

Case Studies

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