by CJ Orr
CEO, Orr Group

The short answer is no, but that misses the more important question.

AI is not coming for your prospect researchers' jobs. But it is fundamentally changing what those jobs look like. The real story isn't replacement, it's amplification.

At Orr Group, here’s what we’re increasingly observing with AI’s adoption in the field:

• Increased volume of prospects available for review and qualification
• Decreased time to write proposals, conduct research, and draft outreach
• Improved quality and depth of research on any given prospect

None of this happens without people. AI tools are only as effective as the humans who manage, filter, qualify, and review their outputs. That dynamic, human-in-the-loop element is a permanent feature of a high-functioning research operation.

Intuition Stays With the Researcher

Experienced researchers carry an internalized understanding of the organization: its culture, its donor relationships, its strategic priorities. They know, almost by feel, when a prospect fits and when something doesn't add up. No algorithm replicates that. Every AI output (prospect lists, qualification scores, drafted proposals) should be reviewed and edited by a qualified human before it ever reaches a gift officer or a donor.

More Prospects, Not Fewer Researchers

AI tools should be additive, not substitutive. A researcher working alone might surface 40 or 50 qualified prospects in a cycle. Working alongside an AI platform, that same researcher might evaluate 150, with tools handling initial filtering and alignment scoring, while human judgment applies across a much larger pool. This combines the prospect researcher's ideas and discernment, plus the tools’ ability to pull key data and relevant information quickly. Together, you get more and better prospects to pursue.

Less Time on Drafts, More Time on Relationships

Modern platforms can score prospects, draft customized grant proposals, and compile donor briefs in a fraction of the time these tasks once took. Drafts still get edited (they always should), but starting from a strong AI-generated foundation is materially faster than starting from a blank page. Gift officers and researchers reclaim hours they can redirect toward relationship-building and strategy.

Better Research Through Two Minds

A researcher might catch a connection that the research tool missed. The tool might surface a giving pattern the researcher didn't think to look for. Together, they produce a more complete picture. This is already standard practice in radiology, for example: AI tools and physicians review every X-ray together because the combination catches more than either could alone. Nonprofit prospect research is moving in the same direction.

Tools Orr Group Finds Exceptionally Helpful

The Bottom Line

AI will not replace prospect researchers. But it will change what excellent prospect research looks like, and what it can produce. The organizations that thrive will treat these tools as partners, not substitutes, while holding onto what no tool can replicate: the institutional knowledge, donor intuition, and professional judgment that great prospect researchers have always brought to the work.

More prospects. Less time. Better research. That's the opportunity. The human in the loop is what makes it possible.

Having served as a trusted partner to clients for over 10 years, CJ Orr has broad experience in fundraising and development, executive leadership, strategic planning, campaigns, and event management. He has launched funds, designed and led strategic initiatives, and driven fundraising for large galas and campaigns ranging from $10M to $1B+ in revenue. As an expert project and relationship manager, he executes on the development of strategies and tactics to drive effective fundraising plans that meet or exceed targets. Internally, CJ is responsible for setting and driving achievement of Orr Group’s financial targets and overseeing efficient operations within the firm. Additionally, CJ supports the efforts of Orr Group’s Growth team to identify and cultivate new business opportunities and build relationships with nonprofit partners, ensuring that the services offered are best aligned with our partners’ needs. CJ’s background in finance provides him with a strong foundation in analytics, metrics and ROI.