The Profiler: 2016

The Role of Prospect Research in Fundraising

January 29, 2016

Children's Mercy Philanthropy Panel Presentation
February 19, 2016

Below are the links I recommend for Prospect Research. Thanks and good luck to everyone in the class!

Address & Phone Resources

WhitePages – search for people, businesses, reverse phone number, or by address and neighbors

Biographical Information

Birthdatabase – searchable by name, age, and zip code.

LinkedIn – provides current employer and title as well as employment history; also lists degrees and educational institutions attended; sometimes lists professional and community affiliations

Business Information

Hoovers – basic company snapshots for free; detailed reports are fee-based

Manta – provides free business snapshots based on Dun & Bradstreet reports

Government Resources (local)

Jackson County, MO marriage records – useful for confirming exact birthdates and spouse names

Johnson County, KS District Court records – useful for searching marriage and divorce records

Missouri Case.net – searchable database of Circuit Court records in Missouri; limited detail only provides basic information on everything from traffic tickets to estates to divorces

Library Resources (local)

Johnson County Public Library – free library card entitles access to several online databases including local and national newspaper archives, obituaries, genealogical resources, and other databases

Political Contributions

Political MoneyLine – search by donor name, state, zip code, occupation or recipient; links to actual copy of FEC contribution filing with home address, employer and occupation of donor

Public Company Salaries & Holdings

Securities & Exchange Commission – search by public company name; the Proxy Statement (DEF14A) contains salary and inside shareholder information

Real Estate Resources

Google Maps – provides aerial and sometimes “street views” of residences

Jackson County, MO – searchable by name or property address

Johnson County, KS – searchable by property address only; includes photo of residence

Clay County, MO – searchable by name or property address

Platte County, MO – searchable by name or property address

Pulawski.net – tax assessor database by state. Named for Christina Pulawski, a former prospect researcher at Northwestern University, now a fundraising consultant

Trulia – nationwide real estate database searchable by city, zip code, or property address

Zillow – nationwide real estate database searchable by city, zip code, or property address

Paid Resources

LexisNexis for Development Professionals ($700-$1000 per month for one user) – multi-function toolkit for fundraisers includes address & phone history, birthdates (month & year only), e-mail addresses, family relationships, real estate assets, newspaper archives, and employment links.

Nozasearch ($900 per year for multiple users) – the world’s largest searchable database of charitable contributions; also provides limited foundation searches for free.
DonorSearch
iWave PRO
WealthEngine
These are multi-function websites for fundraisers and researchers which include capacity ratings, charitable giving, Dun & Bradstreet, Federal Election Contributions, Foundation Search, Guidestar Directors and Foundations, Hoover’s business information, Marquis Who’s Who, aircraft and large watercraft ownership, and more! Subscription price often includes monthly webinars and best practices white papers. Great for small research shops who need a lot of information quickly!

p.s. And don't forget to Google!!!

Recommended Reading