Reference Guide for Researching Individual Donors

If you are looking for information on individual donors, this reference guide will help you in your search. We have selected a few of the most important print and electronic resources for you to begin your search.

Identifying individual philanthropists is somewhat difficult because, unlike foundations, individuals are not required to disclose to the public their financial and philanthropic activities. Approaching wealthy public figures is often an unsuccessful strategy. Most celebrities are inundated with requests for money, and they may have no particular connection to the activities or location of your nonprofit organization.

Instead, focus on the potential resources in your own community. Cultivate personal relationships with prosperous local individuals. They have a connection to the community and an interest in its welfare, and may be more inclined to respond favorably to your approach. Search your local newspapers for human-interest stories profiling neighborhood figures who have prospered in business or in their professions and who are active in civic affairs and charitable causes. Networking with those who are acquainted with your prospect may also yield valuable information. Be sure to respect potential donors' privacy, however.

The resources listed here may help you identify or learn more about prospective individual donors. You will need to be both creative and flexible in your approach to seeking funds.

Electronic Resources for Researching Individual Donors

Philanthropy News Digest (http://foundationcenter.org/pnd/)
Our award-winning digest of philanthropy-related news can be used to find media coverage of individual donors and their gifts. There are two searchable archives, one dating from the current issue back to January 2001 and the other from January 1995 through 2000.

Marquis Who's Who on the Web (Foundation Center Library) *
Biographical profiles of over 1.4 million individuals taken from various Marquis Who's Who publications, including Who's Who in American Art and Who's Who of Emerging Leaders in America. The online database is searchable by name, birthplace, occupation, education level, and career.

Donor Series (Foundation Center Library) *
This web-based database published by Tedesco and Affiliates lists over five million donations to more than 2,000 nonprofit organizations and is searchable by donor name, recipient organization, gift category, gift range, and location.

The Foundation Center's FAQs for Researching Individual Donors (http://foundationcenter.org/getstarted/faqs/section_2e.html)
Frequently Asked Questions about researching individual donors, including information on celebrity giving.

The Foundation Center's Guide to Grantseeking on the Web (http://foundationcenter.org/marketplace/catalog/product_monograph.jhtml?id=prod40002)
This print publication provides information on online resources available to grantseekers, as well as tips and strategies on how to evaluate and use web-based funding materials. The Center's web site provides online access to the abridged version of this book, including the chapter on Online Prospecting for Individual Donors.

Internet Prospector (http://www.internet-prospector.org/index.html)
A collection of links and guides to research on individuals and companies, including articles on strategies, links to address/telephone locators, and many biographical sites.

Opensecrets.org (http://www.opensecrets.org/)
Features a database to look up donors of political contributions by zip code or campaign.

Portico (http://indorgs.virginia.edu/portico)
The University of Virginia Prospect Research Department hosts this page with sections on biographical and corporate information, public records, occupations and salaries.

The Foundation Center's Youth in Philanthropy - Famous and Celebrity Philanthropists Page (http://youth.foundationcenter.org/youth_celebrity.html)
This site frequently highlights information on celebrities and their philanthropic activities.

* Not all Foundation Center Libraries have each of these databases. It is best to call ahead to check availability.

Books of Interest

Burnett, Ken. The Zen of Fundraising: 89 Timeless Ideas to Strengthen and Develop Your Donor Relationships. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishers. 2006. provides tips for the art and practice of donor-based fundraising

Dun and Bradstreet. Reference Book of Corporate Managements: America's Leading Public and Private Companies. New York, NY: Dun & Bradstreet. 2007. Provides information on the officers and directors of approximately 12,000 companies with the highest revenues in the United States.

George, Worth. Fearless Fundraising for Nonprofit Boards. Rev. ed. Washington, DC: National Center for Nonprofit Boards. 2003. The booklet provides practical guidance about the process of board members soliciting funds from others.

Hogan, Cecilia. Prospect Research: A Primer for Growing Nonprofits. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. 2004. Explains the terminology, tools, and procedures for prospect research of individuals, corporations, foundations, and government agencies. The author also deals with ethical issues, electronic screening, tracking processes, and organization of the research office.

Junior Rich Register: A Directory of America's Wealthiest People. Austin, TX: Rich Register. 2001. A national listing of individuals with assets between $25 and $100 million.

Klein, Kim. Fundraising for Social Change . 5th ed. San Francisco, CA: John Wiley & Sons. 2007. Explains community-based fundraising techniques for small nonprofit groups with budgets under $2 million. Recommends fundraising strategies that have been successful for low-budget groups.

The Rich Register: A Directory of America's Wealthiest People. Austin, TX: Rich Register. 2006. A national listing of approximately 4,700 Americans, each with a net worth of $25 million and above. Entries contain business address and phone number, wealth estimate, birth year, college attended, and a brief biography and business history.

Solla, Laura A. The Guide to Analyzing Wealth and Assets. Freeport, PA: Laura A. Solla. 2006. Primer that describes the tools and techniques commonly used in prospect research, covering corporations, foundations, and individuals. Delves into searching government documents, foundation databases and IRS filings.

Sturtevant, William T. The Continuing Journey: Stewardship and Useful Case Studies in Philanthropy. Chicago, IL: Bonus Books. 2001. Provides wisdom as well as four case studies to illustrate fundraising principles, especially in securing major gifts from individuals.

Periodicals of Interest

Advancing Philanthropy. Bimonthly. Association of Fundraising Professionals, 1101 King Street, Suite 700, Alexandria, VA 22314. Selected items available online at http://www.afpnet.org/publications/advancing_philanthropy.

Chronicle of Philanthropy. Biweekly. 1255 23rd Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037. Selected items available online at http://philanthropy.com. (Subscription required for most areas of the site.)

Contributions. P.O. Box 338, Medfield, MA 02052. Selected items available online at http://www.contributionsmagazine.com.

Currents. 10/yr. Council for Advancement and Support of Education, 1307 New York Ave., NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005. Selected items available online at http://www.case.org/CURRENTS.

Forbes. Forbes, Inc., Biweekly. 60 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10011. Selected items available online at http://www.forbes.com.

Fortune. Biweekly. Time, Inc., Rockefeller Center, New York, NY 10020-1393. Selected items available online at http://www.fortune.com.

Grassroots Fundraising Journal. Bimonthly. 3781 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94611. Selected items available online at http://www.grassrootsfundraising.org.

The Journal of Gift Planning. Quarterly. National Committee on Planned Giving. 233 McCrea Street, Suite 400 Indianapolis, Indiana 46225.

NonProfit Times. Monthly. 210 Littleton Rd., 2nd Floor, Morris Plains, NY 07950. Selected items available online at http://www.nptimes.com.

For other materials on researching individual donors, check under the subject headings "Fundraising--donor relations", "Fundraising--individual solicitation", "Individual giving", or "Philanthropists" in the Catalog of Nonprofit Literature.

Videos

Axelrod, Terry. An Introduction to Raising More Money: Building Lifelong Donors. Seattle, WA: Raising More Money Publications. 47 minutes.

Klein, Kim; Roybal, Russell. Ready, Set, Raise: Your Guide to Grassroots Fundraising Denver, CO: Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training. 2004. 120 minutes.

Sturtevant, William T. The Successful Ask: Winning the Gift (Parts I and II). Chicago, IL: Institute for Charitable Giving. 1995. 54 and 86 minutes, respectively.

Panas, Jerold. Shaking the Money Tree: What Motivates Donors. Chicago, IL: Institute for Charitable Giving. 1995. 53 minutes.

Speaking of Money: A Guide to Fundraising for Nonprofit Board Members. Washington, DC: National Center for Nonprofit Boards, 1996. 30 minutes.