Aspire Research Group helps you leverage fundraising intelligence to change the world
We are your donor prospect strategy partner. With the right information, we believe nonprofit fundraising professionals can connect more deeply with donors, include more donors, and fulfill their mission.
We are committed to helping organizations around the world connect with the right prospects—whether they are individuals, foundations, or corporations— to meet their fundraising goals. We help nonprofits to get to know their constituents better and work to strategize ways to cultivate and solicit them.
We help clients with their campaigns, identifying prospects and working to develop plans and approaches to develop relationships with prospects to help meet those campaign goals.
We also work with organizations that know they need to use prospect research, but aren’t sure how to get started. We walk them through the steps to use research effectively and efficiently to benefit their fundraising practices.
Our clients include local, national, and international organizations that are making a difference in the world. We also support fundraising consultant firms that want to provide their clients with high quality prospect research.
We partner with nonprofits to make sure you get exactly the information and support you need, when you need it.
Our Brands
Prospect Research Consultant Firm
Online Learning Community
Contact Aspire
12094 Anderson Rd Unit 211
Tampa FL 33625
(727) 202-3405
Our Team
Researcher, consultant, author, speaker and trainer, Jennifer Filla is on a mission to perform research with distinction and to provide other prospect research professionals with the power to perform their work with excellence, lead with research, and make a difference!
A long time ago in a far-away career, Jen got hooked on research as a legal secretary. Now she leads Aspire Research Group LLC, a prospect research firm assisting fundraisers across the country who are concerned about finding the right prospects, worried about what size gift to ask for, or struggling to meet major gift goals.
A popular speaker and trainer, Jen co-wrote the book, Prospect Research for Fundraisers: The Essential Handbook, She launched the Prospect Research Institute to provide rigorous online courses. No more hidden gaps in knowledge affecting fundraising success! The Institute is on a mission to create opportunities for learning and provide an outlet for new ideas in the field of fundraising research.
Deeply committed to advancing philanthropy and the fundraising profession, Jen has served as a volunteer and trustee for numerous organizations over the years including The Center Foundation and Habitat for Humanity of Delaware County, PA.
She is a member of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA) and the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). She received a B.S. from Neumann University.
Elisa Shoenberger is the profile lead at Aspire. She is a researcher and writer in Chicago with over 8 years of experience in the fundraising sector. Prior to Aspire, she served as prospect researcher at Loyola University Chicago and benchmarking analyst at Grenzebach Glier and Associates.
Elisa earned her MBA in marketing and operations management from Loyola, a MA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; and a BA in history from the University of Chicago.
She has written for over 100 publications on a variety of topics including philanthropy, science, food, and books. She has spoken at several fundraising conferences for both international and local chapters of APRA and others. She has published with the Boston Globe, Wired, Slate, Huffington Post, Business Insider, and many others. She has written In Good Company: A Guide to Corporate Fundraising (2021); Disruptive Philanthropy: A Guide to Donor Advised Funds (2022); Volatile Opportunity: A Guide to Cryptocurrency and Fundraising (2023).
Jacob Jose is prospecting lead at Aspire. He was introduced to prospect researching when he was volunteering with Oxfam while in college. After graduating, he joined a global educational organization as a prospect researcher conducting research on donors in 8 different countries. He has over 7 years of experience in prospect researching.
Jacob earned his bachelor’s degree in Economics from St. Stephen’s College. He enjoys cycling and listening to audiobooks in his spare time.
Crystal Dutton, Operations Manager keeps operations running smoothly at Aspire. A local Florida native with over 7 years of experience in administrative work, her background includes work in customer relations, training and development assistance, and office management support. She found a passion when she stumbled into the accounting field in 2017, overseeing 200+ accounts as AP/AR lead.
Crystal earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of South Florida. In her spare time, she enjoys the outdoors, exploring local trails and spending time with her husband and sons.
Become an Unstoppable Major Gift Closer
How to Get Started
Schedule a Discovery Call
We meet to discuss what you want to achieve and the pathways you can take to realize success.
Work the Plan
Based on our discussion we outline potential next steps. You request the services that best fit your needs — as you need them.
Raise More Money
You get the experience and technical skills to avoid analysis paralysis, break through qualification bottlenecks, and build relationships that result in major gifts.