‘Don’t Hide Behind Prospect Research’

While the Internet and paper sources you’ll find at the library can help locate this information, prospect research isn’t complete without an up-close-and-personal interaction with prospects.

“I think what happens is people take a look at where they live, how much they own, and they leap to an assumption that this person is an X-level donor. Well, that gives you some parameters of what they could possibly give, but in talking with them, seeing how they live, seeing what their lifestyle is, seeing what their family concerns are, what their work concerns are — that’s the absolute best prospect research, because after that meeting you’ll find out how philanthropic they are, where they are on their giving scale, issues that may prevent them from giving now or within the next couple months, and all that stuff you can’t find on the Internet. It’s a one-to-one relationship,” Fredricks says.