The new volunteer-led prospect research knowledge & skills resource, the Researchers in Fundraising: Best Practice Guide and Handbook for Prospect Research, otherwise known as the RiF Handbook, has announced three new Learning Partners, Xapien, TPP and Factary. Each have committed to a three-year partnership with Researchers in Fundraising (RiF) and will work closely with RiF to support the growth and sustainability of this ground-breaking initiative for the sector.
The RiF Handbook was conceived approximately three years ago with the mission to develop a comprehensive guide to the skills and knowledge required for successful, professional and ethical prospect research globally. Thanks to the contributions of over 100 volunteers – and counting – from all around the world, the Handbook launched earlier this year with a wealth of content covering prospect identification, wealth estimation, ethics policies and communicating research impactfully, among other areas. Over the coming years the Handbook will become the ultimate guide to prospect research and fundraising intelligence – practices increasingly recognised as essential to successful high-value fundraising.
So far, the Handbook has created over 10 Chapters split across three domains, with Xapien, TPP and Factary sponsoring one each: Data Skills & Technical Skills; Career Development; and Ethics. Chapters are continually being conceived and created, and current purchasers are given new chapters free of charge. At present, the Handbook is soliciting case studies around innovation in prospect research, inviting those who made a change for the better in their practice, or found a smarter, quicker or more effective way to conduct a research activity, to share their ideas and experiences. Furthermore, the community is able to contribute to this pivotal product through a multitude of opportunities, from beta reading, to micro-volunteering of up to 1 hour per task, to IT support on the Handbook website.
Commenting on the partnership with the RiF Handbook, each of the partners stated:
“TPP have been a supporter of the valuable work of the RiF committee for several years and we are proud to continue that support through this valuable digital resource. Regarded as recruiters who do the right thing and exceed expectations, we help organisations to attract and retain talent and support professionals to reach their career goals.”
Sophie Butler, Divisional Director, TPP
“The Handbook is a hugely valuable resource for prospect researchers at all career stages and in all types of nonprofit and higher education organisations. As learning partners of the data skills and technical skills domain, we look forward to finding artificial intelligence and deep-tech solutions for the biggest challenges in fundraising and prospect research.”
Jess Denny, Head of Communications & Partnerships, Xapien
“This is a fantastic resource for all research professionals, furthering RiF’s tradition of sharing knowledge and fostering best practice across the prospect research community. We are particularly pleased to be partnering on the Ethics Domain, as we are proud of the role researchers continue to play in upholding the highest ethical standards within our industry, promoting rigorous adherence to data protection, and safeguarding the reputation of their organisations.”
Will Whitefield, Research Director, Factary
Finally, the Chair of the RiF Committee and Prospect Research Manager at Birkbeck College, Chris Davis, commented:
“We are thrilled to have each of these partners on board in their respective domains. We are excited to be able to tap into each of their industry-specific knowledge bases to benefit the Handbook customers, and will be able to announce more as these partnerships develop over time, hopefully many of the outcomes being as pioneering and as productive as the Handbook itself.”
If you’d like to learn how you can get involved in the RiF Handbook, wish to find out more, or simply to gain access to its contents, visit https://rifhandbook.info/ where you will be able to learn more about the product, the new announcements and the Learning Partnerships in greater detail. The Handbook is an essential resource for the prospect researcher sector, and is capable of adding value to any individual or organisation at any stage of its development.