Boston

Fund raisers who are responsible for identifying potential big donors need to think about their pool of prospective givers like an investment portfolio and seek out people in different industries, Augie Freda, director of development research at the University of Notre Dame, told participants here at APRA’s annual conference.

APRA is a membership organization for fund raisers who focus on researching prospective donors and managing information about contributors.

Right now, he said, if an organization’s prospect portfolio is too heavily weighted toward people who work in financial services, that group is in “a fair bit of trouble.”

But as tough as the current economy is, some industries, such as energy, entertainment, and hospitality, are holding their own — or at least haven’t suffered as severe a blow.

“If you have prospects in the industries that are doing well, it can offset the prospects that are in industries that aren’t doing well,” said Mr. Freda.

He advised organizations to look ahead and think about what industries might be on the upswing in 2010. Now, he said, is the time for groups to try to identify people in those industries who have a connection to their organization and sufficient wealth to make a large gift.