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IMPORTANT: All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the country where the position is located. Room to Read is not able to provide sponsorship.

Donor Research Analyst (AI-Enabled Research & Data Systems)

Delhi, India

Position Overview

The Donor Research Analyst serves as a strategic and technical partner in evolving Room to Read’s global donor research, due diligence, and data systems function. This role blends strong research fundamentals with AI-enabled tools, data discipline, and workflow design to help the Development & Communications team move faster—without sacrificing accuracy, judgment, or compliance.

This is not a static research role. It is a builder role, hired in anticipation of increased scale, greater use of AI, more complex event demands, and tighter integration with Salesforce and global fundraising workflows. The Analyst will work across constrained systems, balancing speed with verification, and translating information into actionable strategy—not just profiles.

The Donor Research Analyst reports to the Vice President of Global Business Operations.

Core Responsibilities

AI-Enhanced Prospecting & Research

• Conduct proactive and reactive research on individuals, corporations, and foundations using a combination of research platforms (e.g., iWave, Apollo.io, ZoomInfo), AI-supported tools, and manual verification.

• Pilot and refine AI-assisted workflows for summarization, enrichment, and pattern-finding, with clear guardrails for verification and quality control.

• Apply sound research judgment to distinguish signal from noise and surface what is truly actionable for fundraisers.

Event Research & Relationship Intelligence

• Produce concise, high-quality briefing materials for events and strategic meetings under tight timelines.

• Translate research into insights, pathways, and recommendations—clearly articulating “so what” and “now what” for Relationship Managers.

• Support event research at increasing scale, using templates, batch workflows, and AI responsibly to maintain quality under pressure.

Data Consolidation & Salesforce Integration

• Clean, structure, and prepare Salesforce-ready datasets, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and minimal rework post-import.

• Build and maintain Excel-based trackers and AI-supported tools to organize donor interests, capacity indicators, philanthropic history, and relationship pathways.

• Partner closely with Global Business Operations (GBO), DevCom, and IT to improve data flows into Salesforce and reduce manual data handling.

Due Diligence, Risk Screening & Compliance

• Conduct due diligence using public records, media sources, research platforms, and AI-assisted monitoring.

• Apply consistent judgment across regions with varying data availability, norms, and risk thresholds.

• Maintain documented workflows for screening, verification, escalation, and resolution of potential risks.

Systems Building, Documentation & Enablement

• Design and continuously improve templates, trackers, workflows, and documentation that strengthen research efficiency and consistency.

• Capture institutional knowledge related to tools, processes, and best practices in a shared internal knowledge hub.

• Develop training resources and provide guidance to colleagues conducting localized research across regions.

Collaboration & Stakeholder Engagement

This role is highly collaborative and serves as a connective function across teams. The Analyst will work closely with fundraisers, Global Business Operations (GBO), IT, and DevCom leadership to ensure research is accurate, timely, and usable for donor strategy, events, and pipeline development.

Externally, the role may involve limited interaction with research and AI vendors (e.g., iWave), external consultants, and occasional coordination with volunteers supporting training or process improvement efforts.

What Success Looks Like

Performance in this role is measured across five core areas, balancing speed, quality, and impact:

• Timely delivery of high-quality research and event briefings, even under tight deadlines

• Accuracy and Salesforce-readiness of data, with minimal rework required by downstream teams

• Improved efficiency, demonstrated through repeatable workflows, automation, and responsible AI use

• Strength of strategic insights, clearly translating research into actionable cultivation or upgrade strategies

• Consistent application of due diligence and risk screening, with timely escalation and no material compliance gaps attributable to research errors

Growth & Evolution

This role is designed to grow alongside Room to Read’s evolving research and data ecosystem. Over the medium term (12–24 months), the Analyst is expected to:

• Partner more deeply with IBD, GBO, and leadership on pipeline strategy

• Help shape organizational thinking on AI, research ethics, and due diligence

• Potentially evolve into a Senior Research Analyst or Research Systems Lead role

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Associate’s degree in a relevant field.

• 2–3 years of experience in prospect research, analytics, fundraising operations, or other data-intensive roles requiring synthesis of complex information.

• Strong research fundamentals, including the ability to find, verify, and synthesize information and exercise judgment about what is actionable versus noise.

• Strong proficiency in Excel and data handling, including data cleaning, structuring datasets, and use of pivot tables and lookups.

• Experience preparing, validating, or managing Salesforce-ready datasets, with an understanding of downstream CRM, compliance, and stewardship impacts.

• Familiarity with donor research and data platforms such as iWave, Apollo.io, ZoomInfo, and/or web-scraping tools (e.g., Octoparse or similar), with the ability to learn new tools independently.

• Comfort using AI-enabled tools for research, summarization, enrichment, and workflow optimization, paired with strong verification and quality-control practices.

• Ability to balance speed and accuracy in deadline-driven, event-focused environments, clearly flagging assumptions, uncertainty, and risk.

• Demonstrated ability to work creatively within a constrained technology environment, combining lower-cost tools, Excel, AI, and manual verification without over-engineering solutions.

• Strong analytical judgment and builder mindset, with the ability to translate research into clear insights and recommendations while improving templates, workflows, and documentation.

Child Protection Principles

• Room to Read is committed to the education and welfare of children and protecting them from abuse and exploitation
• Room to Read has zero tolerance for child abuse and exploitation.
• All children have the right to be free from abuse and exploitation, including neglect, maltreatment, and physical, mental or sexual violence, injury or abuse.
• All children should be treated with respect and dignity.
• The well-being of the child is Room to Read’s first priority when dealing with all identified or suspected cases of child abuse.
• Room to Read shall integrate child protection into all its organizational strategies, structures and work practices.

Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Principles

• Room to Read Representatives must create and maintain an environment that prevents sexual exploitation and sexual abuse.
• Room to Read has zero tolerance for adult sexual exploitation and abuse.
• Sexual exploitation and abuse are serious violations of fundamental human rights and will not be accepted or tolerated.
• All adults should be treated with respect and dignity.
• Room to Read implements a survivor-centered approach, putting the survivor’s rights and dignity at the forefront.
• Survivors referred to available professional assistance (e.g. mental health counselling), upon consent.

Room to Read is an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying and developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds.

Read is a child-safe organization; all personnel must adhere to Room to Read’s Child Protection Policy, Child Protection Code of Conduct and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Policy.

About Room to Read: 

Founded in 2000 on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children®, Room to Read envisions a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality, where all children have room to read, learn and grow – creating lasting change. Through our Literacy Portfolio, we train and coach teachers of the early grades in literacy instruction; create and publish quality books and curricular materials in local languages; and establish children’s libraries filled with diverse children’s books that can be enjoyed at school and home. Our Gender Equality Portfolio supports adolescents, particularly girls, in developing life skills that promote gender equality, helping them to pursue lifelong learning and make informed decisions.

We support young people of all genders to overcome gender biases and build the knowledge and skills to create a gender-equal world. Room to Read collaborates with local communities, partner organizations, publishers, and governments to test and implement innovative models that can be integrated into the education system to deliver positive outcomes for children at scale. To date, Room to Read has benefited more than 50 million children in 28 countries.

Learn more at www.roomtoread.org.