Why do so many major gift officers struggle to act on names that prospect research delivers to them? Usually it comes down to one of three things: fear of reaching out to someone new, a…
Can you solve your data problems by migrating to a new donor database? Sometimes—but almost never for the reason you think. In most nonprofits, the database isn’t the root problem. If your processes are inconsistent…
What if the answer to fundraiser hesitancy isn’t more data—but better partnership? Major gift consultant Derry Deringer has spent 13 years helping nonprofits raise transformative dollars. His journey to fundraising began in an unlikely place:…
“How hard can it be?” That’s what Diana Marquis thought when she first tried to raise money as a volunteer. Spoiler: it was harder than expected. But that early experience launched a 20+ year fundraising…
“If it’s not in the system, it didn’t happen.” Karen Cochran has repeated this mantra throughout her 30+ year career in fundraising, and it’s advice that prospect research professionals need to hear—especially when pursuing transformational…
If you ask Jeff Schreifels, Principal at Veritus Group, the answer is clear: It’s not about wealth ratings or capacity scores alone. It’s about finding the donors who actually want a deeper relationship with your…
Consultant Barbara Shelton shares how deep donor profiles and meaningful conversations transform campaigns. In this episode of ChatBytes, she reveals how researchers, consultants, and gift officers can slow down, ask better questions, and raise both…
The next time you read about the “donor crisis” in America, I want you to think about Carol Horner. A major donor to many causes in her community of Council Bluffs, Iowa, Carol lives a…
If you work inside a large or long-established nonprofit, you might not realize that there are nonprofits out there that start out by relying only on major gifts – not even a donation button on…
At the Prospect Research Institute, we train researchers at nonprofits of all sizes and shapes. Some have a team of major gift fundraising professionals while some may have only one staff dedicated to individual giving.…
Erik Hoover comes from the world of competitive intelligence. Although the industry is different, many of the research objectives are remarkably similar. When working in competitive intelligence, Erik tried to answer, “What motivates an investor…
Peggy Calhoun is a passionate, enthusiastic, and driven fundraiser. Among the first to receive the ACFRE designation, the highest level bestowed by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), she has spent more than 25 years…