Happy March everyone!  It’s finally March and spring is just around the corner (even though it doesn’t feel like it in Manitoba today).  While March has always been special to me due to many family celebrations and St. Patrick’s Day, now there is even one more thing to celebrate – March is the time to show our #researchpride even more than usual!

March is prospect development pride month, and I’m happy to take part in it for the second year with a post on this blog.  Also I’d like to give a special thanks to Helen Brown for keeping track of all of the fantastic posts each year (the full list can be found here).

If you know me (or have read this blog) you know that I’m very proud to be working with wonderful organizations and philanthropic consultants across Canada.  I love chatting with them and discussing how prospect research can help them with their goals.  It is wonderful to hear how much our research is valued in the fundraising world.

When I was reflecting on what to focus on with this post I was reminded of a conversation I had with my 4 year old daughter a couple of weeks ago.  I was driving her home after preschool and was in a hurry to get everyone home, fed, and down for a nap when a little voice from the backseat politely asked “Mommy, what do you do when you’re working”?  The question caught me unaware and I had to pause for a moment.  She knows that I’m working when sitting at my computer, chatting on the phone with clients/potential clients, or running out for meetings.  But she doesn’t really know what exactly it is that I’m doing – or even why I’m doing the work I’m doing, which is really the most important detail.

There were many ways I could have answered that question, but when talking to a 4 year old it’s best to give the most concise answer possible that doesn’t dwell on details.  She really doesn’t want to hear about profiles, data mining, relationship mapping or any of that jazz, nor would she understand it.  So I told her what I REALLY do, “I help make the world a better place”.  Because really, that is what everyone in the development industry does each and every day, researchers included, and we should be immensely proud of that.

So as we celebrate research pride this month, I’d like everyone in the development industry to take a moment and reflect on what they do – what they REALLY do.  Because every profile created, email sent, or phone call made add up to making someone’s life a little bit better.