Everything I Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten: Tips for Small Shop Research

When I tell people I work in a “small research shop” they generally interpret that to mean that I’m the only full-time researcher on staff. But it actually means that not only I am solely responsible for running and maintaining a prospect research program, I’m also a front-line fundraiser responsible for corporate, foundation, government, and affinity group fundraising. In an environment requiring many hats, it’s easy to get overwhelmed by research requests, screenings, validation, conferences, event briefings, prospect management meetings, data analysis…phew, I’m exhausted. Here are some tips and tricks I use in my “small shop” operation adapted from Robert Fulghum’s poem All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten:

1.     Share everything

After attending NEDRA’s spring conference, I made friends with some nearby researchers and we realized we have something in common: both of our institutions had just performed wealth screenings and both of our staffs had never been through one before. I’d been feeling the weight of this screening on my shoulders since February – not knowing how to crack into the data, or where to even start. Now, with our institutional friends, we’re providing each other with peer support, sharing our struggles and answers to questions, and things we’ve learned. Make friends. Share information. Ask questions.

2.     Don’t hit people

I know prospect research can be frustrating, especially when a profile is pulling you down the rabbit hole. Hit the wall, hit your desk, just don’t hit your coworkers; your bigger problem will be unemployment.

3.     Put things back where you found them

Stay organized! If you’re incredibly busy with projects flying at you from all directions, there is nothing worse than being disorganized. It takes up more of your precious time and leaves you feeling frazzled. Take the time to establish procedures for yourself and others who may be helping you. Develop well organized filing on your computer and in your organization’s database. Organization is a time saver we usually don’t think about, but it goes a long way to enhance your efficiency.

4.     Wash your hands before you eat

If you have more roles than one, I recommend setting aside time specifically for prospect research, rather than shifting back and forth between roles. I reserve most Fridays for tackling research projects. I try hard to “wash my hands” of other projects before starting so that I don’t have to interrupt myself with grant deadlines or corporate solicitations. It’s another efficiency booster that, in the end, will increase your productivity.

5.     Take a nap every afternoon

Well, maybe not a nap, but at least a walk! Make sure you get up, move around, stretch. There’s nothing worse than dreaded desk chair atrophy. When you’re working on a difficult profile, sometimes it helps to step away and then come back. I work in an art museum and nothing’s better than strolling through the galleries, clearing my head, and returning to my desk with fresh perspective.

6.     Watch out for traffic, hold hands, and stick together

When you’re responsible for multiple areas at your organization, you’re bound to find yourself standing on the curb like Frogger, nervously wondering how to cross a busy street. Find advocates. Ask others to pitch in and help. Unless you’re a super hero, there’s no way you can take this on alone. As we’ve started our screening validation process, I’ve created a “validation super team” made up of myself, the department assistant, and the database analyst. We’ve sat through webinars and conference calls and many meetings. I feel more supported and confident that I’m not taking this on as a solo endeavor.

 

7.     Goldfish and hamster and white mice die. So do we.

Keep your chin up. We see and read difficult things sometimes – obituaries, police reports, divorce proceedings, and more. It’s important to take breaks and get some air. Google dancing cats, rainbows, and cupcakes – make yourself smile.

If you apply some of these rules to your small research shop, your hat-hair will become less apparent. However, despite all of the advice you receive, all of the processes and procedures you put in place, you are still bound to get frustrated, confused, and overwhelmed. When I find myself in those moments – moments when even singing puppies don’t make me smile – I take a deep breath and remind myself that the work I am doing greatly impacts the mission of my organization. It enables front line fundraisers – like me – to find funding for programs that provide free access to art for our community to more than 30,000 visitors, bring more than 8,000 school children to the museum for free, directly impact 200 immigrant children from low-income families, and exhibit incredible once-in-a-lifetime art experiences in Maine. As soon as my pride for my organization begins to swell, the work becomes just a little bit easier.