Jan 2008
Welcome
to the debut of Seeking! You
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CONTENTS:
1. Lost and found in Texas
2. Software Spotlight: DonorSearch.net
Lost and found in Texas
Once in a while you come across a donor prospect that gives an indication of wealth - maybe paying for an expensive service in cash - but all the quick checks for wealth such as real estate and occupation, come up with no records. I was researching just such a prospect and was given the mother and daughter's names and the mother's home address in Texas.
Thankfully, that county's records office not only had property records searchable online, but marriage records as well. Learning the full legal name of the daughter was the key to unlocking the story. I was then able to find the full family name of the mother, who came from a very prosperous and philanthropic ranch-owning family.
When you can only find out a little about your prospect, but you have a strong suspicion of wealth, outsourcing for in-depth research can make a lot of sense.
Software Spotlight: DonorSearch.net
DonorSearch.net is a relatively new product with a primary purpose of identifying the giving history of your prospects. Data sources include its own extensive collection as well as NOZA and Federal Election Campaign contribution records. You can search an individual name or a thousand names. The search interface is simple and surprisingly flexible when narrowing a search. Download is available right to Excel, which makes manipulation and formatting a breeze. It also has wealth screening and prospect generator components. Price is $950/year or $150/month.
FillaResearch helps organizations use research to create and maintain meaningful relationships with donors.
Contact FillaResearch and ask how we can help you find and get to know your major gift donors better. Call 610.566.5113 or email jen@fillaresearch.com.
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Happy New Year Name!
This past Thanksgiving my fiancé and I were visiting my daughter at college in Tampa, Florida. Back at our hotel we logged onto the internet to find a special place for dinner that night. We were startled that my laptop knew we were in Tampa and not our hometown of Swarthmore, Pennsylvania! Technological advances have added incredible convenience to our lives. We did find a wonderful place for dinner that night. However, convenience comes with a privacy price tag. Large amounts of unorganized data may be without much value, but organized, searchable databases of information are remarkably effective at delivering information. More and more data is being organized into useful information, as my virtual visit to Texas demonstrates. As technology continues at its breakneck pace, it is important for all of us development staff and researchers to continue to balance our need for information with the privacy expectations of our prospects and donors. I try to research others as I would research myself - in Tampa, Pennsylvania or even Texas. Cheers, P.S. My heartfelt thanks
to all who have provided encouragement and work! It is a privilege
and a joy to interact with great people and I am sincerely grateful. I'm Nobody! Who are you? I'm Nobody! Who are you? How dreary - to be - Somebody! |
