Our next feature for our PD Pride series is Libby Feil, Assistant Director of Research for Smith College.
What inspired you to pursue a career in this field, and what keeps you motivated in the work you do today?
I was working as a research librarian back in 2011 when I ran into a college friend I'd lost touch with. She mentioned she was doing prospect research, and I spent about an hour quizzing her on this interesting job I'd never heard of before. It seemed so similar to my work as a research librarian that I decided my skills would be transferable. The next time I wanted to change jobs, I applied for some prospect research positions as well and did end up making the switch. Ever since I've spent time in both worlds.
I love the work I do in prospect research because it satisfies my craving to solve puzzles and stretch myself intellectually, in the context of supporting meaningful nonprofit work. Currently, I work for a women's college, and I love its mission and how well it aligns with my values.
What do you find most rewarding about your role, and how has your perspective on the industry evolved?
I love that I can see my work contributing directly to a cause I support. For instance, if I run a screening and find a new prospect, I can bring them to a gift officer colleague and make a case for their potential. Then I can see the gift officer reach out to this previously overlooked prospect and match them up with an opportunity they find compelling, such as an endowed scholarship for students from an underserved background. I can see that the work I did led to a first-generation college student, say, getting the opportunity for higher education. Amazing!
When I took my first prospect research job roughly 15 years ago, we were doing more with paper files and having to do a lot of heavy lifting ourselves. (Sometimes literally -- some of those files were inches thick!) I've seen the work transition to being fully online and have seen a real blossoming of the products available to help us do screenings and data analysis more quickly and reliably.
What trends or innovations do you see shaping the future of our field, and how do you think we should prepare for them?
As prospect researchers, managers, and data analysts, we've been using AI products for decades -- we just called them algorithms. I think we're in good shape to monitor and evaluate generative AI and the ever-expanding scope of the newer generations of algorithms, which will be transformative in many ways. I think we need to approach AI with caution and discretion and make sure we work with our larger advancement teams and organizations to come up with policies that allow us to use new tools without risking our prospects' data and privacy.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone just entering this profession, what would it be?
Attend as many professional development opportunities as you can! There are so many great free and low-cost options from Apra Indiana, other Apra chapters, Apra International, and allied organizations. Get onto listservs, join professional organizations, go to virtual events, attend in-person conferences, meet other professionals -- and serve on boards! Attending Apra Indiana conferences and sitting on the Apra Indiana board in the past really helped me out when I was setting up a solo prospect research shop for a previous job. I still learn something new from every webinar, conference, and fellow researcher.