Robert L. Weiner: Nonprofit Fundraising Technology Consulting » Prospect Research http://www.rlweiner.com Technology Advisors to Nonprofits and Educational Institutions Thu, 19 Aug 2010 23:30:06 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc Using Prospect Research to Raise $1 Million http://www.rlweiner.com/using-prospect-research-to-raise-1-million http://www.rlweiner.com/using-prospect-research-to-raise-1-million#comments Wed, 11 Feb 2009 18:28:57 +0000 Robert http://www.rlweiner.com/?p=763 Margaret King, President of the InfoRich Group, has published an article on how prospect research yielded $1 million in foundation funding for one of her clients. She discusses the strategy behind the research, the tools she used, how the list was narrowed to a group of top prospects, and the general approach to cultivating the foundations. The results: a 75% success rate, resulting in nearly $1 million. You can read the article at http://web.fumsi.com/go/article/use/3617

]]> http://www.rlweiner.com/using-prospect-research-to-raise-1-million/feed 0 New listing of big gifts http://www.rlweiner.com/new-listing-of-big-gifts http://www.rlweiner.com/new-listing-of-big-gifts#comments Fri, 30 Jan 2009 18:57:01 +0000 Robert http://www.rlweiner.com/?p=732 Jay Frost of ContactReporter.com (formerly of WealthID) has started a new blog that will track large individual gifts to all types of charities in the US and abroad: www.BigGifts.wordpress.com

]]> http://www.rlweiner.com/new-listing-of-big-gifts/feed 0 Guessing the Gender of a Name http://www.rlweiner.com/guessing-the-gender-of-a-name http://www.rlweiner.com/guessing-the-gender-of-a-name#comments Fri, 05 Dec 2008 21:56:06 +0000 Robert http://www.rlweiner.com/?p=500 Ever wonder how to tell the gender of an unfamiliar first name? The PRSPCT-L listserve (for prospect researchers) had a discussion of resources for figuring this out and members provided the following suggestions:

http://www.wikihow.com/Find-the-Gender-of-a-Name
http://www.weddingvendors.com/baby-names/
http://www.gpeters.com/names/baby-names.php
http://www.behindthename.com

]]> http://www.rlweiner.com/guessing-the-gender-of-a-name/feed 0 Relationship mapping software reviews http://www.rlweiner.com/relationship-mapping-software-reviews http://www.rlweiner.com/relationship-mapping-software-reviews#comments Sat, 22 Nov 2008 01:58:24 +0000 Robert http://www.rlweiner.com/?p=400 After reading several listserve discussions of the use of relationship mapping tools for prospect research, the WellStar Foundation's David Broussard decided to get serious about the subject. The result is a website called Relationship Map Reviews. The site describes relationship mapping as

a visual representation of relationships between individuals, organizations, companies, and other entities.

As of this post, the site reviews of MarketVisual, DonorGateway, Leadership Directories, Dow Jones Generate g2, Director Connections, NNDB Mapper, and Muckety.com. It also includes several case studies of the use of relationship mapping in prospect research.

]]> http://www.rlweiner.com/relationship-mapping-software-reviews/feed 2 How Charities Use Screening Tools to Find Donors http://www.rlweiner.com/how-charities-use-screening-tools-to-find-donors http://www.rlweiner.com/how-charities-use-screening-tools-to-find-donors#comments Wed, 10 Sep 2008 20:43:28 +0000 Robert http://www.rlweiner.com/?p=301 According to a study commissioned by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, large charities are much more likely than small ones to use wealth screening services.  Approximately 1,300 fundraisers answered a survey asking whether they use screening services to identify prospective donors or likely upgrade prospects, determine giving ability or ask amounts, rate prospects' inclination to give, identify planned giving prospects, or collect demographic information on constituents.  Overall, 42 percent of respondents said they used such tools, compared to 66 percent of nonprofit groups with $25 million or more in annual revenue.

This should come as no surprise.  Using these services requires a budget for research, which many small nonprofits lack.  Using them successfully requires staff who have the expertise to analyze and apply the data.  Many screening projects fail due to a lack of follow-through by clients.

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