From Search to Profile: Using Perplexity Pro for Defensible Prospect Research

For three years, I ran a one-person prospect research shop at the Cleveland Museum of Art, where every research hour mattered and every claim had to be defensible. Today, I’m building a prospect research function at Cleveland State University, creating new processes and systems to support seven gift officers and a VP of Advancement. Across both roles, one lesson stands out: prospect researchers don’t need more AI tools—they need better research workflows. 

This session demonstrates how Perplexity AI Pro can be used as a citation-first research engine to produce faster, verifiable prospect research without sacrificing accuracy or professional judgment. Rather than focusing on AI hype, this presentation walks through a practical, repeatable workflow that separates search, verification, and synthesis - significantly reducing hallucinations and rework.

Attendees will learn how to structure Perplexity Pro for prospect research, apply simple verification standards (confirmed vs. unverified), and translate results into a clean, CRM-ready prospect profile that gift officers can act on. The session emphasizes accessible and ethical AI use, making it especially relevant for solo researchers and small shops operating without enterprise budgets or technical support.

Participants will leave with a budget-friendly research framework, reusable research prompts, and clear guardrails for responsible AI use that can be implemented immediately—using only a nominal monthly subscription ($5 - $17) and existing professional judgment.

Presenter: Ryan Clement

Prospect Research Director at Cleveland State University

Keeping Your Ducks in a Row… and Your Geese, Too: Practical Prospect Management Strategies

Prospect management works best when it’s both structured and flexible. In this session, we’ll talk through practical approaches to managing prospect portfolios, proposal strategy, metrics, and data integrity—while acknowledging the realities and pressures faced by frontline fundraisers. The goal isn’t perfection; it’s clarity, alignment, and momentum. Attendees will leave with ideas they can apply immediately to keep prospects moving forward and teams working together more effectively.

Presenter: Elise Martin

Associate Director, Prospect Development at Miami University

Elise has over 10 years of experience in advancement fundraising and prospect management within higher education. She currently works in prospect management, where she partners closely with development officers to support portfolio strategy, proposal tracking, and metric reporting. Elise holds an MBA from Miami University’s Farmer School of Business and brings a practical, collaborative approach to prospect management—focused on helping teams stay organized, aligned, and effective.

Neurodiversity in Research: Designing Workflows for All Kinds of Thinkers

Prospect research is a cognitively demanding field—requiring focus, pattern recognition, and adaptability. These are often strengths of neurodivergent professionals, yet traditional workflows and expectations can unintentionally create barriers.

Led by a neurodivergent researcher with nearly two decades of nonprofit experience, this session explores how to design inclusive, flexible research environments where all kinds of thinkers can thrive. We’ll examine common challenges—like time blindness, sensory overload, and communication mismatches—and offer practical strategies for building workflows that support diverse cognitive styles.

Whether you identify as neurodivergent, manage a team, or want to foster a more inclusive research culture, this session offers tools, language, and a fresh perspective on what it means to do research well.

Presenter: Jessica May

Development Specialist at Mid-Ohio Foodbank

Jessica May, MPA (she/her), is a neurodivergent prospect researcher with 19 years of experience across the nonprofit sector, including foodbanking, small business resources, adult learning, and adaptive training design. She brings a unique blend of lived experience and professional expertise in workflow design, accessibility, and inclusive team culture

TBD

Presenter: Michael Pawlus

Data Scientist at The Ohio State University