Current and Prospective Donor Research
The core framework
Prospect research answers three questions before anyone makes an ask: who has the capacity to give, who has a linkage to your organization, and who has the interest and readiness to be asked. The standard rating model combines all three. Capacity estimates how much someone could give; it never predicts whether they will. A wealth-screening score is a screening tool, not a strategy.
Sources a fundraiser may legitimately use
Public records form the backbone: real estate and property filings, business and SEC filings, foundation Form 990-PF grant histories, published donor lists, alumni and corporate directories, obituaries, and news coverage. Ratings are best expressed as ranges (for example, $10,000–$25,000) paired with a confidence level, because a figure built from a home's assessed value ignores mortgages, liens, and illiquid holdings.
Traps that show up in questions
- Equating net worth with gift capacity or with likelihood to give.
- Ignoring privacy: screening data must be handled under your organization's privacy policy and applicable law, and requests for anonymity must be honored.
- Researching only during a campaign instead of continuously maintaining the pipeline.
- Assuming an employer match, foundation affiliation, or family name automatically becomes a personal gift.
- Confusing portfolio counts (visits, qualifications) with outcomes (dollars, commitments).
Rule of thumb
Rate every prospect 1–5 on capacity, linkage, and interest, then work the portfolio by the combined score. A $50M prospect with no linkage belongs in a long-term cultivation pool, not next month's call list.
Worked example
A prospect owns a $1.2M home with a $700K mortgage and a business with $3M revenue but thin margins. That is not $4.2M of capacity - realistically a five- or low-six-figure range, pending a qualification visit.