Here's how you can research the organization before a fundraising interview.

Reading through the website and social media profiles is clear but what I find even better is actually interviewing people who had interaction with the organization to see how it enforces the mission statement. Because it is easier to write something on a website than to enforce it in real life. I would also look for signs how the executive teams enforce those values as it is important to have the team and the organization to act a like.

Knowledge is key. Research the firm, deals they've done and other member of the team and their background. Also, importantly, what can you bring to the team? Do you have skills which could fill gaps in the team? Do you understand the space? Do you have contacts that can bring to the table or even better, pipeline deals?

Pro Tips: Look on the non-profit’s website that showcases their funders: foundations, government agencies that distribute grants and corporations with local stores or regional offices all have different processes and reporting criteria. Keep in mind that funders want to see a variety of income streams, partnerships with 501(c)3 entities in your community and they don’t want to be a sole source of capital. Grants may be in the form of capital (new buildings and infrastructure) or operating (salaries, overhead, equipment). Have they varied their approach? Knowing how the non-profit has been funding their work and keeping in mind these varied aspects of successful development can help you successfully strategize in an interview.

Additionally, don't overlook the power of social media channels and press releases, as these platforms often highlight recent initiatives, community involvement, and company culture in action. By exploring these resources, you can gain a deeper understanding of how the organization lives out its mission in real-world scenarios. This insight can be invaluable during your interview, allowing you to provide specific examples of how your skills and experiences align with their ongoing projects and values.

As a fundraiser, you're going to need to be familiar with these for pitches and proposals, so familiarizing yourself with them (and having one or two primed questions) for the interview will get you a head start. Overhead/efficiency is not the only number that matters. Long term growth, stability, reserves, and decision making around financial and strategic decisions are all good indicators of a financially healthy organization.

This proactive approach not only deepens your understanding of the organization's impact but also equips you with up-to-date information and nuanced perspectives that can significantly enhance your interview responses.

Organizations are going to put their best foot forward when it comes to culture. Their website and presence online may not take into account the full picture. Start there, glean what you can, but also check websites like Glassdoor and BBB for company/employee reviews (but take these with a grain of salt too). If they give you the opportunity to interview with non-managerial/supervisory/HR folks, ask them specific questions ("please name a time when" or "provide an example of") that target cultural components that are important to you.

Prospecting is integral part of the fundraising process and helps one understand the affinity of the organization. This help’s one to better calibrate, the corporations believes, values in their annual contribution plans and philosophy in their financial bequests to corporations or institutions. It always worked for me!

This can be hard to glean before an interview, sometimes they're published in year-over-year annual reports or investor reports. Other times (most, in my experience) you'll need to ask this question in an interview.

Networking with past organizations that received funding from the interviewing organization and gathering the formers' experience will provide you some insights. However, this will be subjected to conflict of interest and information privacy of the organizations that received funding in the past.

Am surprised the LinkedIn AI tool forgot to mention a valuable tool for research: LinkedIn! Spend time studying the org’s LI page; look through current staff profiles and also look at career paths of previous employees in key roles (including the one you’re applying for). Good luck!