Location: Bowling Green, KY Category: Staff Job Type: Full-time Posted On: Wed Sep 16 2026 Job Description:
Position Summary
The Division of Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement (PAE) seeks to foster lifelong relationships with WKU constituents through activities designed to honor the WKU spirit, engage all members of the WKU family in the life of the University, and secure private support to advance WKU's mission. The Division's core values drive our success through: Positivity, Accountability, and Excellence.
The Prospect Strategy Analyst reports to the Executive Director of Strategic Operations & Appeals and works with the Prospect Strategy Assistant Director to manage donor prospecting and research activities at Western Kentucky University. This position supports the prospect management and research needs of approximately 7 full-time fundraising professionals as well as research needs of campus partners. Responsibilities include the identification, research, and analysis of alumni, parents, and friends in support of fundraising efforts at WKU. This position utilizes a variety of sources and research tools to update prospect records and provide recommendations of philanthropic prospects, and assists by providing information needed to make data-informed strategic decisions.
Essential Job Functions:
The following duties are customary for this position, but are not to be construed as all-inclusive. Duties may be added, deleted and assigned based on management discretion and institutional needs.
Prospect Research
Work with leadership and fundraisers to define needs, share results, and enhance the value and effective use of research in identifying, qualifying, cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding donors.
Conduct detailed research as requested by major gifts and principal gifts team members.
Execute prospect identification activities for new prospects utilizing external information and prospect research tools and databases.
Produce prospect and donor profiles and event bios when needed to support cultivation and solicitation activities.
Integrate newly identified prospects into the allocated prospect discovery pool for qualification and assignment.
Manage research queue and assign out requests to other team members as needed.
Recommends prospect research tools and technologies to Executive Director for budget inclusion.
Track research productivity with database metrics and project management tools.
Conduct research using public, proprietary, purchased or leased databases, newspapers, published materials, and other resources to identify potential donors and funding sources.
Utilize prospecting tools such as data screening and modeling to provide analyses of targeted groups and overall prospect pool.
Prospect Management
Provide support to the Assistant Director of Prospect Strategy with portfolios as needed, including portfolio audits and the assignment review process.
Utilize data to make meaningful and strategic recommendations for prospecting of portfolios.
Participate in portfolio management and business planning meetings.
Support Prospect Strategy and Data Analyst to manage prospect records in database system and performs regular audits of prospect data.
Contribute to the planning and implementation of comprehensive, proactive prospect identification and management of potential prospects.
Conduct verification on wealth screening files and make portfolio assignment recommendations.
Foster collaboration and partnerships
Assist others on the team and/or across the Division on special projects to support the Division needs as necessary.
Build partnerships across campus to drive PAE initiatives.
Support best practices
Collaborate with team members and recommend improvements.
Research best practices; evaluating and learning new tools to support philanthropic and alumni engagement needs.
Contribute outside-the-box ideas in conjunction with research and best practices to position the Division to be leaders in the industry.
Creates job-specific SOPs (standard operating procedures) to document process to create consistency and continuity as needed.
Knowledge and Skills Considered Essential for Success:
Must be a self-starter, organized and able to work in a team environment.
Ability to establish priorities and work independently.
Research skills necessary to locate and validate information from multiple sources including websites, social media, and commercial research databases.
Advanced problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.
Ability to manage to completion large, long-term or fast-moving projects.
Strong attention to detail and accuracy with data entry and project tracking.
Strong grammar and writing skills.
Superior and effective interpersonal, written, and verbal communication and presentation skills.
Computer literacy and proficiency, including Microsoft Office Suite with high proficiency in Excel and aptitude for learning new software packages.
Knowledge of commercial research databases such as Lexis Nexis.
Strong organizational skills and the ability to manage large volumes of data in an accurate and meaningful way.
Experience with data analysis and reporting.
Ability to use discretion in working with sensitive, confidential materials and data.
Job Requirements:
Bachelor's degree
Additional Information:
Salary Range: $39,100 - $45,000
Kentucky state law requires all public institutions of postsecondary education to conduct pre-employment criminal background checks to determine suitability for employment.
Western Kentucky University (WKU) is committed to a policy and practice of providing equal employment and educational opportunities to all individuals. In accordance with Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Revised 1992, and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, no form of discrimination or harassment will be tolerated at WKU on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, national origin, creed, religion, political belief, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, marital status, age, uniformed services, veteran status, genetic information, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, or physical or mental disability in admission to career and technical education programs and/or activities, or employment practices.
Persons with disabilities, who need reasonable accommodations to participate in the application and/or selection process, may contact the Office of Institutional Equity at 270-745-5121 for assistance. To report concerns related to WKU's Discrimination and Harassment Policy, No. 0.2040 and/or WKU's Sex and Gender-Based Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Policy, No. 0.2070, please complete the Discrimination, Harassment, and Retaliation Reporting Form (https://cm.maxient.com/reportingform.php?WesternKentuckyUniv&layout_id=95) . Additional information regarding Title IX, including contact information for the Title IX Coordinator and reporting options, is available on WKU's Title IX website (https://www.wku.edu/titleix/) .
Information concerning educational programs offered by WKU are provided at: https://www.wku.edu/academics/
For information related to job postings, application status, or the hiring process, please email employment@wku.edu.
