Programs > Fundraising > Philanthropic Prospecting
What is prospect research?
Simply put, prospect research is finding and using relevant information about a donor to see if they’re capable of making a major gift to your organization.
Prospect research is important to all nonprofits because it ensures that you’re investing your time and effort into the right donors, the donors who have the capability to make a major gift. This research can include individual giving preferences, previous giving to other nonprofits, real estate holdings, political giving, and much more.
How does wealth screening align with prospect research?
An integral part of prospect research is wealth screening, which evaluates a donor's potential financial capability to give to an organization. Wealth screening is a helpful part of prospect research and major donor cultivation because it can give you important insight into how much a donor could gift to your organization.
For more in-depth information on prospect research and wealth screening, visit this overview from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.
For help with prospect research and wealth screening services, Emily Spranger, INN's Network Prospect Researcher, provides office hours for any INN member.
Things you can learn about during INN Prospect Research Office Hours:
- How to find your major donor prospects and how INN can help
- How to use your database to find your major donors
- Information on how to access your wealth screening information
- General fundraising "tips and tricks"
Emily's Office Hours are available on Tuesdays & Thursdays from 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. ET. CLICK HERE to book your 30-min spot.