TLDR
A prospect research session is a focused block — typically two hours — where the development team produces written briefs on a defined list of major-gift or funder prospects. Done as a structured workflow with a working list, a consistent capacity-and-affinity framework, and a clear handoff to a cultivation owner, prospect research moves from a research aspiration to a steady source of qualified prospects entering the cultivation pipeline.
What This Workflow Covers
A prospect research session is a focused block of structured work — typically two hours — that produces written briefs on a defined list of major-gift or funder prospects. The output is decisions, not information: each prospect gets a recommended next step and a cultivation owner.
This workflow covers building the working list, setting the session structure, applying a consistent capacity-and-affinity framework, sourcing from public records, writing briefs in a consistent format, handing off to cultivation owners, and closing the loop with the next session.
Who runs this workflow: A dedicated prospect researcher (in larger shops) or the development director (in smaller shops). Session participants typically include the development director, the executive director (for tier-1 sessions), and a research assistant if available.
Estimated time: 90–180 minutes per session, covering 6–12 prospects. Most shops run monthly.
Step 1: Build the Working List
Sources for the working list:
| Source | What it produces |
|---|---|
| Recent donor list | Donors above threshold in last 12 months |
| Wealth-screening hits | Database-flagged candidates |
| Board referrals | Prospects with named connections |
| Event-attendee lists | Engaged but not yet major donors |
Filter to 8–12 prospects. Send the list to participants 24 hours before the session.
Step 2: Run the Session With a Fixed Cadence
| Time | Activity |
|---|---|
| 0:00–0:10 | Review working list, confirm priorities, assign leads |
| 0:10–1:40 | Prospect-by-prospect research and brief drafting (10–15 min each) |
| 1:40–2:00 | Assign cultivation owners, schedule next steps, note revisits |
Briefs are drafted during the session in a shared document. Briefs promised for later do not get written.
Step 3: Apply the Capacity-and-Affinity Framework
Sample capacity signals:
- Foundation board memberships and 990-disclosed compensation
- Public-company executive role and SEC-disclosed holdings
- Real estate value (primary residence and additional holdings)
- Public philanthropy at peer organizations
- Business ownership or recent liquidity event
Sample affinity signals:
- Personal connection to the program area
- Prior gifts, event attendance, or site visits
- Relationships with board or staff
- Alumni or service-recipient status
- Public statements aligned with mission
The donor wealth screening guide covers the upstream screening that feeds prospect research.
Step 4: Source From Public Records Only
Acceptable public sources:
- IRS Form 990 filings (foundations, large nonprofits)
- SEC filings (officers and directors of public companies)
- Public news search
- Prospect’s own website and LinkedIn public profile
- Real estate public records (where state records are public)
- Your own donor database
Off-limits: paid scraping, behind-login sources, anything requiring deception.
The Apra ethical standard for the field is public-sources-only; the standard is also a practical safeguard — donors react poorly to research that surfaces information they didn’t intend to be public.
Step 5: Write the Brief in a Consistent Format
Sample brief template:
Prospect: [Name], [Role] Capacity: [2–3 sentences with strongest public signals]. Estimated range: $[low]–$[high]. Affinity: [2–3 sentences on organizational connection]. Prior touchpoints: [list]. Recommended next step: [1 sentence] Cultivation owner: [Named individual]
Sample completed brief:
Prospect: Jordan Reyes, Founder/CEO, Reyes Manufacturing Capacity: SEC filings show approximately $4M in disclosed company holdings; recent regional news covered a $50K gift to a peer education nonprofit. Estimated range: $25K–$100K. Affinity: Spouse is on our program advisory committee; attended last two galas; toured the program site in February. Prior touchpoints: 2 event attendances, 1 site visit, 1 small unrestricted gift. Recommended next step: Invite to summer site visit with the program director; assess for a $25K restricted ask within 12 months. Cultivation owner: Executive director.
Step 6: Hand Off to the Cultivation Owner
Each brief ends with a named cultivation owner and a 30-day first-step deadline.
Sample handoff structure:
| Prospect | Cultivation owner | First step | Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jordan Reyes | Executive director | Site visit invitation | 30 days |
| Maria Chen | Development director | Discovery meeting | 30 days |
| Hartwell Foundation | Grants manager | LOI | 45 days |
The 30-day deadline is the discipline. The major gift cultivation practical guide covers post-handoff cultivation in detail.
The grant management best practices guide covers the parallel handoff for institutional funder prospects.
Step 7: Refresh the Tracking Sheet, Schedule Next Session
Before leaving the session room:
- Update the prospect tracking sheet with new prospects and assignments
- Move prior-session prospects without cultivation activity into a follow-up bucket
- Schedule the next research session
- Note any prospects flagged for revisit in 3–6 months
The donor retention strategies guide covers the broader retention pipeline that prospect research feeds.
For the operational template — working list grid, brief template, and tracking sheet — the Funder Prospecting Research Template provides the pre-built artifacts.
Definitions
Prospect research. The qualitative research process that produces written briefs on individual prospects, supporting cultivation decisions. Distinct from wealth screening, which is the upstream automated process across a larger list.
Capacity. A prospect’s financial ability to make a gift at a defined level. Estimated as a range from public sources.
Affinity. A prospect’s organizational connection — personal, programmatic, or relational — to the nonprofit. Combined with capacity, affinity drives the recommended cultivation approach.
Public-sources-only standard. The prospect-research field’s ethical norm that all research be sourced from publicly available records, not from behind-login or scraped sources.
FAQs
The FAQ block above covers the most common operational questions.
Internal Links and Templates
- Donor wealth screening guide — upstream screening that feeds prospect research.
- Major gift cultivation practical guide — what happens after the handoff.
- Donor retention strategies — the broader retention pipeline.
- Grant management best practices — institutional-funder parallel.
- Funder Prospecting Research Template — pre-built working list, brief, and tracking sheet.
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