MORE THAN JUST A NAME - THE ART OF PROSPECT RESEARCH

Prospect research aims to provide all the information necessary for th e solicitation process (i.e. asking a potential donor for a gift), fro m compiling lists of names in the first instance, to building up an in -depth profile of the prospect. There are a number of resources availa ble to the researcher, including biographical books, newspapers and ma gazines and electronic media such as online databases and CD-ROMs. In addition to researching individuals, companies and trusts in the Unite d Kingdom and possibly the United States, the prospect researcher in B ritain is increasingly being asked to investigate prospects around the world, to provide country profiling, as wealthy individuals become 'c itizens of the world', rather than just one country, and as British ch arities begin to look overseas for donors.