Breaking up is [not] hard to do: Disqualifying prospects for better data and development outcomes

An introduction to WFAA's approach to "disqualifying" prospective donors for future donor cultivation, as an important component of prospect development and management. Best practices often focus on retention/cultivation, with little emphasis on handling data for identified prospects who appear to be promising prospects in the database, but aren't in actuality. Proactive prospect disqualification helps fundraisers and support staff better prioritize time and other resources, and has applications for prospect identification, development, and fundraiser metrics. We will discuss how WFAA's disqualification process allows development staff to document when further engagement by WFAA is not a good fit for potential prospects and how these relationship decisions are reflected in institutional data and impact the allocation of development resources. We will cover process concepts, data applications, and the risk-mitigation safeguards that ensure valuable prospects aren't lost along the way

Speaker Bio

Kelley Rowe is the Prospect Development Data Specialist at the Wisconsin Foundation and Alumni Association. Her previous experience includes data management and integration and process development in the nonprofit arts industry, prior to joining WFAA.

WFAA is a private, nonprofit organization that advances the objectives of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Their 16-member Research and Prospect Management team supports over 80 development staff members.