GUIDE:
The Donors Already in Your Database: A Guide to Prospect Research
How to find the people already connected to your mission, and know enough about them to make the ask.
The Donors Already in Your Database: A Guide to Prospect Research
Fundraising isn’t about wealth. It’s about why people give. But most teams have a CRM, a spreadsheet, and maybe an old screening report, and still can’t answer the one question that matters: who do we call first? This guide helps you see the person behind the data, so the donor you might be overlooking becomes the conversation you can’t afford to miss.
Inside, you’ll find:
- Capacity and affinity, side by side. Why a ready donor needs both, and what you miss when you only have one.
- What changes when prospect research is done well. From a realistic ask amount to board champions you didn’t know you had.
- Three ways to do the research, and the one that scales. On your own, with a consultant, or with a research partner like DonorSearch by EverTrue.
- Who to screen first. Loyal small-gift donors, event RSVP lists, and the alumni, patients, and patrons already walking through your doors.
- What good research looks at. Giving history, board service, real estate, and business affiliations, drawn from DonorSearch’s 200M+ charitable gift records and 850+ data points per constituent.
- Five steps to turn research into action. So the work doesn’t sit in a report no one opens.
Generosity doesn’t realize itself, and the gap between a donor’s willingness to give and your team’s ability to reach them is where opportunities get lost. This guide helps you close it, with research your gift officers will actually use.