diff --git a/Supporters/lib/Supporters.pm b/Supporters/lib/Supporters.pm
index 6cd290c..608cbcc 100644
--- a/Supporters/lib/Supporters.pm
+++ b/Supporters/lib/Supporters.pm
@@ -910,7 +910,7 @@ sub _verifyId($$) {
 
 }
 
-=item _verifyRequestTypeId()
+=item _lookupRequestTypeById()
 
 Parameters:
 
@@ -923,22 +923,26 @@ Parameters:
 
 =back
 
-Returns: scalar boolean, which is true iff. the $requestTypeId is valid and
+Returns: scalar, which is the request_type found iff. the C<$requestTypeId> is valid and
 already in the supporter database's request_type table.
 
+Die if the C<$requestTypeId> isn't a number.
 
 =cut
 
 
-sub _verifyRequestTypeId($$) {
+sub _lookupRequestTypeById($$) {
   my($self, $requestTypeId) = @_;
 
   die "_verifyRequestTypeId() called with a non-numeric id" unless defined $requestTypeId and looks_like_number($requestTypeId);
 
-  my $val = $self->dbh()->selectall_hashref("SELECT id FROM request_type WHERE id = " .
+  my $val = $self->dbh()->selectall_hashref("SELECT id, type FROM request_type WHERE id = " .
                                             $self->dbh->quote($requestTypeId, 'SQL_INTEGER'), 'id');
-  return (defined $val and defined $val->{$requestTypeId});
-
+  if (defined $val and defined $val->{$requestTypeId}) {
+    return $val->{$requestTypeId}{type};
+  } else {
+    return undef;
+  }
 }
 
 =item _getOrCreateRequestType
diff --git a/Supporters/t/Supporters.t b/Supporters/t/Supporters.t
index 2694e86..7b2dd50 100644
--- a/Supporters/t/Supporters.t
+++ b/Supporters/t/Supporters.t
@@ -532,20 +532,20 @@ lives_ok { $tempSP->_getOrCreateRequestType(\%hh); }
 is_deeply(\%hh, { requestTypeId => $rr },
    "_getOrCreateRequestType: deletes requestType if both are provided.");
 
-dies_ok { $tempSP->_verifyRequestTypeId(undef); }
-        "_verifyRequestTypeId: dies for undefined requestTypeId";
+dies_ok { $tempSP->_lookupRequestTypeById(undef); }
+        "_lookupRequestTypeById: dies for undefined requestTypeId";
 
-dies_ok { $tempSP->_verifyRequestTypeId("NoStringsPlease"); }
-        "_verifyRequestTypeId: dies for a string requestTypeId";
+dies_ok { $tempSP->_lookupRequestTypeById("NoStringsPlease"); }
+        "_lookupRequestTypeById: dies for a string requestTypeId";
 
-ok( (not $tempSP->_verifyRequestTypeId(0)), "_verifyRequestTypeId: returns false for id lookup for 0");
+ok( (not $tempSP->_lookupRequestTypeById(0)), "_lookupRequestTypeById: returns false for id lookup for 0");
 
 # Assumption here: that id number one more than the last added would never be in db.
-ok( (not $tempSP->_verifyRequestTypeId($rr + 1)),
-    "_verifyRequestTypeId: returns false for id one greater than last added");
+ok( (not $tempSP->_lookupRequestTypeById($rr + 1)),
+    "_lookupRequestTypeById: returns false for id one greater than last added");
 
-ok( ($tempSP->_verifyRequestTypeId($rr)),
-    "_verifyRequestTypeId: returns true for id known to be in database");
+is($tempSP->_lookupRequestTypeById($rr), "test-request",
+    "_lookupRequestTypeById: returns proper result for id known to be in database");
 
 
 =item _getOrCreateRequestConfiguration