Prospect Research

Q. Where would I find a list of nonprofit organizations in the Chicago area that use prospect researchers?

A. Your best bet is to check out the member directory of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement. This group’s members conduct research on individuals and corporations to assess their potential as donors, says Kay Ellen Farison, executive director of the association, in Westmont, Ill. While the group’s member directory doesn’t include every charity that employs prospect researchers, it is one of the largest single listings of such organizations you will find. The association has 2,200 members, and Ms. Farison says about 80 percent of them are nonprofit organizations, and most have prospect researchers on their staffs. You can search their directory online by geographic location, type of institution, and alphabetically by member name.

Here’s the hitch: You have to be a member of the association to have access to its member directory, at a cost of $150 per year for an individual. There’s an application on the Web site, and there are no prerequisites for membership, says Ms. Farison. A cheaper option is to search the site’s online job listings for prospect researchers, which you can do free.

Another good resource is the Donor’s Forum of Chicago Library — check out its Web site for directions and hours. The library offers directories of all the nonprofit organizations in Chicago, says Julie Yurko, director of major gifts at the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. Of course, you’ll find that not every nonprofit group employs full-time prospect researchers, but if you are planning to approach a particular charity to offer your services, the library is a good place to start. There are other libraries in Chicago that have similar information, and there are similar libraries in other cities: The Foundation Center’s Web site has a list that is organized by state.