Donor Research & Prospect Intelligence

Research donor prospects and provide wealth screening and intelligence

Startup Cost
$5,000-$20,000
Difficulty
Intermediate
Time to Profit
4-10 months
Profit Potential
$8,000-$42,000/month

Overview

Prospect researchers charge $75-$200 hourly or $3,000-$15,000 per research project.

Serving 15-40 clients generates $100,000-$500,000 annually with 75-90% margins.

In 2025, identifying major donor prospects is critical.

Revenue from donor prospect research ($3,000-$15,000 per project), wealth screening ($2,500-$12,000), individual donor profiles ($500-$2,500 each), board prospect research ($5,000-$20,000), ongoing research retainers ($2,000-$8,000 monthly), and research database subscriptions.

Services include major donor prospect identification, wealth screening and capacity analysis, individual donor prospect profiles, corporate and foundation research, board member prospect research, and estate planning and planned giving research.

Successful researchers use screening tools (WealthEngine, iWave, DonorSearch), identify giving capacity and propensity, uncover philanthropic interests, provide actionable intelligence, and respect donor privacy.

Nonprofits with major gifts programs as clients.

Marketing through major gifts consultants, development officers, prospect research associations, research case studies, and screening expertise.

Required Skills

  • Prospect Research
  • Wealth Screening Tools
  • Research Databases
  • Data Analysis
  • Report Writing
  • Ethical Research Practices

Pros and Cons

Pros

  • High fees for prospect research projects
  • Every major gifts program needs research
  • Can work remotely with databases
  • Research critical for solicitation success
  • Recurring research relationships

Cons

  • Expensive screening database subscriptions
  • Research very time-intensive
  • Must follow ethical research guidelines
  • Competition from prospect research firms
  • Need multiple database subscriptions

How to Get Started

  1. Build prospect research skills and credentials
  2. Subscribe to screening and research databases
  3. Join prospect research associations (APRA)
  4. Develop research methodologies and reports
  5. Market to major gifts programs and consultants
  6. Conduct prospect research and wealth screening
  7. Deliver actionable donor intelligence

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