Knowing Before Asking: The Case for Donor Research
The Map Before the Journey: Turning Data into Direction
Philanthropy begins with generosity, but it succeeds with understanding.
Every fundraising campaign begins with a fundamental question: Who should we ask?
It is one of the most consequential decisions an organization can make, yet it is often based on instinct rather than information. Many development teams estimate a donor’s potential by extrapolating from their annual giving history — for example, assuming a $1,000 donor may be capable of $10,000 in a capital campaign. While such assumptions occasionally prove accurate, they more often result in significant underestimation or overreach.
Donor research changes that.
At Bedel International Philanthropy Advisors (BIPA), we view fundraising as a discipline rooted in evidence, not intuition. Using research tools such as iWave, combined with our proprietary screening frameworks, we identify a donor’s true capacity and inclination to give. This approach transforms fundraising from guesswork into strategy.
Our experience consistently confirms what data reveals: a donor contributing $100 annually may possess the capacity for a $50,000 gift when approached with the right information, timing, and alignment. The difference is not persuasion — it is preparation.
The Role and Importance of Donor Research
Philanthropy is an expression of generosity, but effective giving requires understanding. Donor research bridges the gap between intention and impact. It enables nonprofits, foundations, and individual donors to act strategically, ensuring that generosity achieves measurable outcomes.
Without structured research, both fundraising and philanthropy remain reactive. With it, generosity becomes targeted investment.
Through comprehensive analysis, research identifies:
Capacity: who is able to give,
Affinity: who is motivated to give, and
Alignment: where those motivations intersect with your mission.
For nonprofits, this information directs time and resources toward relationships with the greatest potential for partnership and growth. For donors, it highlights opportunities for high-leverage giving — identifying where support fills true gaps rather than duplicating existing efforts.
At its best, donor research reduces risk, builds trust, and focuses institutional and individual energy where it will create the most durable impact.
The BIPA Research Framework
BIPA’s research methodology is grounded in three interrelated dimensions:
Capacity – Evaluating a donor or institution’s financial ability to contribute at significant levels.
Affinity – Assessing causes, issues, and organizations that reflect genuine interest or prior engagement.
Access – Mapping the relationships and pathways that connect a donor to your organization’s mission.
Using iWave’s data ecosystem in combination with BIPA’s analytic tools, we create a Prospect Matrix: a dynamic, living document that organizes potential funders by opportunity level and readiness. Each profile includes verified giving history, estimated net worth, philanthropic interests, professional affiliations, and known organizational ties.
Prospects are then categorized into actionable segments:
Warm leads: existing supporters ready for deepened engagement.
Emerging leads: aligned prospects requiring cultivation.
Institutional funders: corporate or foundation partners with overlapping priorities.
Immediate opportunities: individuals or entities demonstrating readiness for solicitation.
This matrix functions not as a static report, but as a strategic tool — a foundation for outreach, stewardship, and campaign planning.
Scope of Work and Deliverables
Each BIPA research engagement provides:
Screening and analysis of 250–300 prospects across individual, corporate, and foundation categories.
A sortable Excel matrix ranking each prospect by capacity, connection, and readiness.
A summary analysis highlighting the most promising donor segments and patterns of alignment.
A 12-month follow-up for profile updates and new leads identified through ongoing data tracking.
An optional strategy session to prioritize the top 25 prospects and translate findings into actionable development plans.
This process transforms unstructured data into usable intelligence. BIPA delivers not only names, but clarity — equipping organizations to direct their energy where it will yield the highest impact.
The Broader Impact
Strong fundraising and effective philanthropy share a common foundation: informed decision-making.
Organizations that understand their donor landscape make better strategic choices, engage supporters more authentically, and sustain mission-driven growth. Donors who understand the ecosystem of giving contribute with confidence and purpose.
At BIPA, we regard research as a form of civic infrastructure — the quiet architecture that upholds effective philanthropy. It ensures that generosity is not wasted through inefficiency or duplication, but amplified through alignment and insight.
Data does not replace human connection; it strengthens it. When organizations understand who they are asking and why, they do more than raise money — they reinforce the systems that sustain community resilience.
That is the work of BIPA: building the map before the journey, providing the insight before the ask, and ensuring that generosity moves not only hearts, but outcomes.
