Research

Prospect research is not able to determine a person’s or organization’s net worth. Even so, it is possible to know certain things about the assets of an individual or organization through public records. Using these resources, the fundraiser is better able to tailor a strategy for a request that fits the abilities of a prospect to make a gift.

Home Appraisal

These resources are useful to help a researcher know more about a prospect’s real estate holdings.

• Foundation Search- http://www.foundationsearch.com/
• The Foundation Directory http://fconline.fdncenter.org/
• Guidestar for IRS Form 990s – http://www2.guidestar.org/Home.aspx
• Council on Foundations – http://www.cof.org/

Salary

Publically-owned companies must disclose their financial information including the salaries of their officers. This information helps a researcher to know more about the ability of a prospect to make a gift. These resources will help the researcher find that financial information.

• Hoover’s – http://www.hoovers.com/
• Salary.com – http://www.salary.com/
• Tenkwizard – http://www.tenkwizard.com/
• Wall Street Journal Salary Surveys – http://www.careerjournal.com/

Stock Holdings

Publically-owned companies sell stock to help keep the business growing. Looking at stock ownership helps create a financial picture of a prospect.

• BigCharts – http://bigcharts.marketwatch.com/
• CBS Market Watch – http://www.marketwatch.com/
• Edgar – http://www.sec.gov/edgar.shtml
• Tenkwizard – http://www.tenkwizard.com/
• Yahoo! Finance – http://finance.yahoo.com/

Foundations

Foundations are required by law to give away at least five percent of their assets each year. Additionally, they are required to file a form 990 with the United States Internal Revenue Service to maintain their tax-exempt status. An IRS 990 provides a wealth of information about foundations. These resources reveal information about foundations’ total assets, giving histories, and more. The organizations providing this information fetch them from IRS 990s and news sources.

• Foundation Search- http://www.foundationsearch.com/
• The Foundation Directory http://fconline.fdncenter.org/
• Guidestar for IRS Form 990s – http://www2.guidestar.org/Home.aspx
• Council on Foundations – http://www.cof.org/

Knowing what a person or organization has given to previously helps inform the fundraiser about the giving interests of their prospect and the typical gift size for that prospect.

• Foundation Search – http://www.foundationsearch.com/
• The Foundation Directory http://fconline.fdncenter.org/
• Guidestar for IRS Form 990s – http://www2.guidestar.org/Home.aspx
• Non Profit Times – http://www.nptgrantsearch.com/
• Giving U.S.A. – http://www.givingusa.org/
• Charity Channel – http://www.charitychannel.com/
• FundraisingInfo.com – http://www.fundraisinginfo.com/

It is important to be well-informed about the personal history of your prospects. This information will help the fundraising with making the best philanthropic fit between project and donor.

• Greater Houston Partnership – Houston leaders at work. Lists information on Houston business activity. Great for information about Houston’s leaders in business: http://www.houston.org/
• Attorney General of Texas – Charity Search: http://www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/nonprofits.shtml
• Harris County Appraisal District: http://www.hcad.org/
  Property appraisals and links to other county property sites in Texas.
• Harris County Tax Office: http://www.tax.co.harris.tx.us/
  Voter registration records and addresses.
• ZoomInfo for career information about individuals – http://www.zoominfo.com/
• Matindale Hubbell for information about lawyers: http://www.martindale.com/
• American Medical Association for information about doctors (use Doctor Finder): http://www.ama-assn.org/
• Google.com – http://www.google.com/
• PIPL People Search for great public records and more: http://pipl.com/
• Houston Public Library – http://www.hpl.lib.tx.us/research
• Family Tree Library

Each state in the U.S. has unique public resources. Knowing details about local universities, local civic organizations, and other resources regionally specific can be especially helpful in finding useful information about your prospects.

• Baylor College of Medicine Board of Trustees: http://www.bcm.edu/about/trustees.cfm
• Baylor College of Medicine Office of Development: http://connect.bcm.edu/Page.aspx?pid=229
• Baylor College of Medicine Financial Documents:
  http://connect.bcm.edu/Page.aspx?pid=232
  http://www.bcm.edu/oor/index.cfm
• Baylor College of Medicine Research: http://www.bcm.edu/research/
• Rice University Board of Trustees: http://www.professor.rice.edu/professor/BOT.asp?SnID=1808634749
• Rice University Office of Development
• Rice University Alumni Directory: https://online.alumni.rice.edu/
• Rice University Financial Documents: http://www.professor.rice.edu/professor/Financial_Statement.asp?SnID=1808634749
• Attorney General of Texas – Charity Search: http://www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/nonprofits.shtml
• Texas Online – This site is a product of the Texas state government. It describes itself in the following manner: “The State of Texas web site is intended to serve as the official compilation of Texas government electronic resources, both at the state and local levels, and as an index of Texas governmental or taxing authority web sites and services. The site is organized by subject to provide a collection of links and portals designed to allow citizens, visitors, businesses, state government, and others to quickly and efficiently locate appropriate resources.”: http://www.texasonline.com/portal/tol/en
• Texas Legislature Online – for legislation that could affect fundraising activities and more: http://www.legis.state.tx.us/
• State of Texas Corporation Search – If an idea gets going, it has to go here in Texas. Public or private corporations must have a tax I.D. This site is especially good for questions about directors and officers of private companies which reside in Texas. It is also helpful with address information: http://ecpa.cpa.state.tx.us/coa/Index.html
• Handbook of Texas Online – This site offers an abundance of Texas history: http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/
• State Bar of Texas provides information about attorneys licensed in the state of Texas: http://www.texasbar.com/
• Harris County Appraisal District: http://www.hcad.org/ Property appraisals and links to other county property sites in Texas.
• Harris County Tax Office: http://www.tax.co.harris.tx.us/ Voter registration records and addresses.
• Galveston Historical Foundation – A glimpse into the history of a great Texas landmark: http://www.galvestonhistory.org/
• City of Houston Website – This website hooks one up to the nitty gritty in our fair city! Especially useful: the zip code reference section. Type in the desired zip and learn a lot about that area of our tow: http://www.houstontx.gov/
• Houston Transtar – the “go-to place” for traffic, emergency, and more for the city of Houston: http://www.houstontranstar.org/
• Greater Houston Partnership – Houston leaders at work. Lists information on Houston business activity. Great for information about Houston’s leaders in business: http://www.houston.org/
• University of Houston – http://www.uh.edu/
• Baylor College of Medicine – http://www.bcm.edu/
• Rice University – http://www.rice.edu/
• University of St. Thomas – http://www.stthom.edu/Public/
• University of Texas – http://www.utexas.edu/
• Houston Public Library – http://www.hpl.lib.tx.us/research

If you are approaching a business for a gift it is imperative to know the current details of that company, including financial and mission information. Business information is usually part of most individual profiles for prospects as well. If your prospect has recently sold a business, it may be a good time to approach them for a gift for example. If that business suffered a big loss in income, it would be a good time to steward a previous gift or offer opportunities to stay connected.

• Greater Houston Partnership – Houston leaders at work. Lists information on Houston business activity. Great for information about Houston’s leaders in business. – http://www.houston.org/
• Attorney General of Texas Charity Search – http://www.oag.state.tx.us/consumer/nonprofits.shtml
• Harris County Appraisal District – Property appraisals and links to other county property sites in Texas. http://www.hcad.org/
• Harris County Tax Office – Voter registration records and addresses. http://www.tax.co.harris.tx.us/
• Hoover’s Online – http://www.hoovers.com/
• New York Times Dealbook – http://dealbook.blogs.nytimes.com/
• State of Texas Corporation Search – If an idea gets going, it has to go here in Texas. Public or private corporations must have a tax I.D. This site is especially good for questions about directors and officers of private companies which reside in Texas. It is also helpful with address information. http://ecpa.cpa.state.tx.us/coa/Index.html
• BizJournals.com – for business news in cities all over the U.S. http://www.bizjournals.com/
• Houston Public Library for access to Dun and Bradstreet, RefDeskUSA, Million Dollar Database and much more all for free – http://www.hpl.lib.tx.us/research

Reference and Public Records: Reference and public records resources are the bread and butter of prospect research. There are numerous questions that can arise in the cultivation of a prospect. A healthy array of resources helps the fundraiser find the necessary answer just when it is needed.

• The Chronicle of Philanthropy – http://philanthropy.com/
• The Chronicle of Higher Education – http://chronicle.com/
• Courthouse Direct provides information about probated wills, marriage, divorce, and numerous other legal documents – http://www.courthousedirect.com/
• Social Security Death Index Articles – Ancestry.com article and About.com article — These two pieces tell you all that you need to know about the Social Security Death Index in its many forms on the Internet.
  http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library/article.aspx?article=4313
  http://genealogy.about.com/od/vital_records/a/ssdi-search.htm
• Social Security Death Index – This links to the most current version of this resource located at Ancestry.com
  - http://www.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=3693
• Ancestry.com for genealogical information and more – http://www.ancestry.com/
• RootsWeb U.S.A. County Resources – Have you ever wondered what county Bandera, TX was in? Wonder no more. This easy-to-use resource will take you directly to your answers. RootsWeb.com has much more to offer as well. Have a look. – http://resources.rootsweb.ancestry.com/USA/
• Zip + four – http://zip4.usps.com/zip4/welcome.jsp
• RefDesk for everything reference! – http://www.refdesk.com/
• PIPL People Search for great public records and more – http://pipl.com/
• Houston Public Library – http://www.hpl.lib.tx.us/research
• National Center for Charitable Statistics – http://www.nccs.urban.org/
  From the website: "The National Center for Charitable Statistics (NCCS) is the national clearinghouse of data on the nonprofit sector in the United States."
• Urban Institute Research of Record – http://www.urban.org/projects/index.cfm
• Bipartisan economic and social policy research
• Non-profit research – http://www.urban.org/center/cnp/index.cfm

National Council of Non-Profits – http://www.councilofnonprofits.org/