Prospecting

I used to work at the ACLU, a prominent civil rights organization. Many people are “card-carrying” ACLU members all around the country, and because of the success of that campaign, we had a database full of prospects. Most people aren't so lucky. This post is for you.

When I was very young, I would use a magic marker to make lists of nonsense words and scotch tape them up to all the walls. I’ve always loved lists - to-do lists, grocery lists, lists of basketball cards, and now prospect lists. Think of the prospects on your list like a collection. Baseball cards, Pokémon cards, whatever works best for you. The first step is always to know what’s currently in your prospect collection. So let’s start there — list all the people your organization knows.

The mistake most people make when prospecting is being too selective about whom to put on the list. For whatever reason, we rush to get it over with quickly. But you wouldn’t do that for your card collection, and we don’t do that here today. Take whatever time you need to map all your connections. If it’s a solo shop, start with your contacts, the people on your phone, or your social media. If you’re working with an organization, start with the executive director’s contacts, the folks on your email list, and the board members’ contacts (if they’re open to sharing).

Rushing is a mistake here - you want this list to be complete, so you only have to do it once. This list will be useful for the rest of your life.

If you question whether you should add someone to the list, the answer is always yes. Yes, some folks on your list won’t even be able to give $5. That’s ok. Prospecting can’t be a decision process. It should cast as wide a net as possible. For this step, we need a comprehensive map of the available resources. It’s casting as wide a net as possible — we narrow it down only later.

Begin with your existing database. Everyone has one - if you think I’m wrong, glance at the contacts on your phone! We all keep track of people in some form or fashion. Your prospecting list will include all those phone contacts and everyone who attended your events, served on your board, or made donations. Record their names, ideally in a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, but a spreadsheet or even paper will suffice.

Even if your list is massive, attempt to expand it with people from your network. Very few people have bothered to make a database of everyone they know, and for a good reason — it’s not easy. Utilize your phone, social media, and email contacts - every connection counts.

If you’re finding yourself stuck, here’s a checklist for ways to build your list: Current Donors
Past Donors
Family Friends
Email newsletter lists
Event invitation lists
Board Members
Professional Colleagues
Donor Advisors
Neighbors
Faith Communities
Previous Work Colleagues
Stacks of old business cards
Community Foundations
Vendors
Team Rosters
Wedding Guest
Rotary Club Members
Lists Holiday
Card Lists
Country Club Members
Social Media Connections
Neighborhood Directories
Supervisors
Hobbies
Personal Email Contacts
Professional Email Contacts
Yearbooks and School Directories
Teachers and Professors
Advisors
Volunteer Experiences
Extracurricular Activities
Address Books
Client Lists
Alum Lists
Old Calendar Lists
Membership Lists of Civic Organizations
People who have given to allied political campaigns

Spend time gathering all these lists and putting them in one place - preferably with a phone number and email address when available. These individuals will form the foundation for the rest of your career.

Don’t be surprised if you haven’t spoken with many folks on your list. Maintaining quality relationships can be daunting, mainly when time is scarce. British anthropologist Robin Dunbar proposed that humans can manage only about 150 meaningful relationships. Dunbar’s back-of-the-napkin definition of who qualifies as “meaningful” is “the number of people you would not feel embarrassed to join, uninvited, for a drink at the bar.” Ideally, you’d have that relationship with all of your donors. But over time, as that number exceeds 150, you cannot maintain that level of intimacy. This research shapes why most major gift officers cap their portfolios at 150 people, with many professional institutions opting for fewer (I’ve seen as low as 50). If you have thousands of people on your list, you won’t be consistently connected to most of them. That doesn’t mean they won’t care about your efforts or want to help.

No matter how powerful and impactful your nonprofit’s ideas are, all your earliest opportunities will come from people you know. Think about it: most opportunities in life come through some form of human interaction. Whether it’s a job offer, a business partnership, or a referral to a new client, it all starts with people. And the more people you know, the more opportunities you have to leverage.

Your prospect list will grow over time, but it will take more work to build the muscle to meet new people personally as your organization grows. It’s hard to keep meeting new people when you’re drowning in work. That’s why creating the habit is so important. If you are an externally facing fundraiser, I recommend aiming for new connections with three new people every week. By meeting three new individuals weekly, you’ll broaden your network and open up fresh possibilities. Stay receptive and be ready for these new encounters. Try not to eat meals by yourself. These connections may introduce you to their contacts or offer opportunities you hadn’t anticipated. This regular social interaction will also bolster your comfort and confidence, benefiting all aspects of your life outside your profession. Never undervalue your network’s power; get ready to watch your opportunities multiply when new people emerge from it.

Expanding your network and pursuing modest goals with admired individuals cultivate a robust list of supporters—those investing time and money into your cause. But you may run into a situation where you need more names quickly. There are many methods for growing your lists should you run into trouble outside of personal networks. Hosting events, such as fundraising galas or house parties, can draw potential significant donors, providing an environment to showcase your mission and forge meaningful connections.

A political campaign I knew once hosted over 200 small house parties in a year with a staff of three - if they can do it, so can you.

Consider the “endorsement letter” method, an effective strategy for enlarging your circle. Leverage the influence of prominent supporters by asking them to send a letter on your organization’s behalf, followed by your phone call to the lists, to solidify the connection and begin a new relationship.

Often, you’ll have notable people supporting your organization, people with their contact lists. We can ask them to send a note on our behalf, and then we can follow up with a contact. Direct mail appeals for those fitting your organization’s primary gift criteria can also be beneficial. Please include a clear call to action alongside information about your organization and its mission. You can purchase these lists from any reputable fundraising mail vendor. Often, these appeals are supplemented by “list swaps” from other like-minded organizations.

Use paid services to find donors online or exchange lists with allied organizations. You can purchase viable lists of ideologically and geographically suitable names from reputable data vendors.

Local fundraisers may offer their connections with donors, typically at a significant price. If you know your donors’ lifetime value, the acquisition cost might be worth it here. Utilize social media (including advertisements) and email to engage potential significant donors and maintain their interest in your organization. Issue-specific forums are a great way to spread the word about your activities. Even hiring a firm to do traditional phone calls can be a potent tool for outreach.

Publicly available information can guide your research for potential contacts, offering a chance to introduce your organization and its mission and arrange a personal visit for further discussion. You can discover donors, cultivate relationships, and bolster your funding using strategic web-based tools and approaches. One particularly fruitful strategy involves exploring the board members of organizations whose missions align with yours. These individuals, demonstrating their commitment through active involvement, often possess the capacity to contribute substantially. To find these potential donors, scour the websites of similar non-profits, seeking out their “Board of Directors” or “Leadership” pages.

Social media also serves as a rich resource where an organization’s board members might be listed. Once you’ve compiled a list of names, delve deeper. Investigate each individual’s professional background, history, and potential ties to your organization. Online fundraising platforms and collaborative donor networks offer abundant engaged individuals willing to support causes dear to them. By spearheading efforts using these platforms, you raise funds and connect with individuals invested in your mission - potential long-term donors. Further, numerous online databases disclose information about charities, their donors, and board members. Employing these databases accelerates and enhances your prospect research and identification process.

The critical point here is that the prospects are limitless. It could be from your network, referrals, and sometimes even strangers. There are infinite opportunities to find people and add them to your collection.