A primer to the field of Prospect Research Research for the Masses Kris Hunt October 2012

Overview Goal: Empower the development officer to perform basic research to free the research staff for complex and intricate searches Benefits include: –Faster turnaround – you get what you need quicker –Less reactive and more proactive research More new names, geo searches, etc… THE CAMPAIGN FOR OSU – PAGE 2

Agenda Research Can and No-Can-Dos Tools at your command –Database –Libraries –Free sites –Search Engine Tips Basic Research Tasks that staff can do –Addressability –Biographical sources –Corporate and foundation information THE CAMPAIGN FOR OSU – PAGE 3

What Research Can Do Determine public asset information held –Stock holdings for public company insiders –Salaries for public company insiders –Real estate investments –Yacht and Airplane ownership Estimate private company value Estimate gift capacity –5-year potential for a major gift THE CAMPAIGN FOR OSU – PAGE 4

What Research Can Not Do Find net worth Find unlisted and cell phone numbers Find private information concerning personal assets or bank balances, etc… Stock holdings of the everyday investor Information that a person or organization wants to keep private THE CAMPAIGN FOR OSU – PAGE 5

Tools at Your Command: Your Database You have a “database of record” –Check first! –Biographical – titles –Evaluations - ratings –Notes – past research –Prospect – current assignments Hard Copy Files –Dated, but relevant information often exists THE CAMPAIGN FOR OSU – PAGE 6

Tools at Your Command It is everyone’s job to help the database! Send all information to your records person –Phone numbers –Addresses –Titles –Family names Glean from contact reports that you enter THE CAMPAIGN FOR OSU – PAGE 7

Tools at Your Command: Library Local Academic Institution –OSU LibraryOSU Library LexisNexis Academic EDGAR – SEC filings and forms Wall Street Journal Your Public Library –Corvallis Public LibraryCorvallis Public Library Gale Biography Resource Center Business Source Premier* – Articles from biz journals Newsbank – America’s Newspapers Fulltext Reference USA THE CAMPAIGN FOR OSU – PAGE 8

Tools at Your Command: Free Sites Meta Sites – Search Engines –Google – –Dogpile – –Yahoo/MSN/AOL – all will pull different results! * THE CAMPAIGN FOR OSU – PAGE 9

Tools at Your Command Search Engine Tips Add “Quotes” to your search Enable advance search features Try variations Include –terms to remove things Use a different engine –Yahoo, MSN, Ask.com Be careful where you take something… Be careful what you click… THE CAMPAIGN FOR OSU – PAGE 10

Basic Research Tasks Development Staff Can Do “Addressability” or Location information Biographic Information (Individuals) Corporate information Foundation information THE CAMPAIGN FOR OSU – PAGE 11

Addressability: Finding Someone 101 Phone numbers –411 “Saves time and money” –Unlisted numbers “Are just that” –Cell phones iffy… –Work numbers Corporate website Reference USA THE CAMPAIGN FOR OSU – PAGE 12

Addressability: Finding Someone 101 cont. Address look-ups –County AssessorsCounty Assessors –Corporate websites –Reference USA s –Corporate websites –Reference USA THE CAMPAIGN FOR OSU – PAGE 13

Biographic Resources Individuals Occupational info –Corporate Websites Brief bios on top executives –Hoovers Brief bios on top executives – and For doctors and dentists –Martindale Hubble Law DirectoryMartindale Hubble Law Directory For Lawyers THE CAMPAIGN FOR OSU – PAGE 14

Basic Corporate Information Reference USA Hoovers.com Company website –Addresses –Top officers and directors –Background –Other information THE CAMPAIGN FOR OSU – PAGE 15

Basic Foundations Form 990s –GuidestarGuidestar Grant Forward Database Foundation websites THE CAMPAIGN FOR OSU – PAGE 16

Form 990 What can you find in a Form 990? Identity and Tax Status (ie. Address/Existence) Income the entity received and from what sources Breakdown of expenses (program, management, etc.) Net Assets Programs funded Board Members and Top Staff salaries Did the entity initiate in some new activity? Does the entity lobby? Where can you find Form 990s? Gathers information about non-profits Free to access last 3 years of 990s Registration required Great Online Resource for more info: THE CAMPAIGN FOR OSU – PAGE 17

Grant Forward Formerly known as IRIS The Illinois Researcher Information Service (IRIS) is a unit of the University of Illinois Library at Urbana-Champaign Allows you to search for funding opportunities by: Sponsor Program Title Deadlines THE CAMPAIGN FOR OSU – PAGE 18

Compiling information for visit or event, etc. Pull from five areas –Database –Available Reports –Corporate sites –Search Engines –Hard Copy Files THE CAMPAIGN FOR OSU – PAGE 19

Questions? THE CAMPAIGN FOR OSU – PAGE 20