Fundamental

Understanding Real Estate's True Value

Melissa Bank Stepno, Target Analytics, a Blackbaud Company
Course Length: 1 hour 32 minutes 
NEW! The residential real estate industry has been the subject of significant buzz the last few years. With all the conversation about the viability of the mortgage industry, the real estate bubble bursting and the beginnings of a market correction, researchers have been left wondering what real estate data is really saying. A simple property value alone isn’t always a good indicator of wealth. This session will review the real estate market’s history, today’s climate, how to use real estate information for prospecting, and provide tips and tools to help best interpret and understand data. Order now >>

Cultivating Productive Research Collaborations

Mary Gatlin and Karen Prater, University of Oregon
Course Length: 52 minutes 
NEW! This session seeks to change the flow of information for research professionals from primarily outward to a dynamic exchange with development staff. The shift to back-and-forth results in more collaboration and efficiency when working with development staff and more engagement in the cultivation process from start to finish. Order now >>

Approaches for Evaluating Wealth and Rating for Gift Capacity

Elizabeth Crabtree and Joyce Newton, Brown University - Dartmouth College
Course Length: 1 hour 4 minutes
The purpose of researching and evaluating wealth and asset indicators is to be able to appropriately assign, cultivate and solicit prospective donors. Ultimately, researchers must develop sound strategies for estimating an individual’s potential for philanthropic giving (gift capacity) and develop rating systems to help organize and classify constituents into segments or pools. This program discusses approaches for estimating philanthropic giving capacity based on common wealth indicators, how to create rating systems for various types of fundraising programs, and how a disciplined and uniform approach to rating gift capacity along with considerations for affinity and inclination assists in populating campaign gift tables and allows researchers to become better strategic partners in fundraising.
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Corporate and Foundation Research

Christina Pulawski, Christina Pulawski Consulting
Course Length: 1 hour
Face it, most research educational content focuses on all the methods to research and identify prospects who are individuals — which is only right because individuals are by far the largest source of philanthropic funding in the U.S. However, institutions and programs whose sole function is to provide funding for nonprofits are among the fastest-growing elements in philanthropy. Hone your skills in the basics of researching, evaluating and preparing to approach foundations and corporations for funding. Topics discussed include free and for-fee sources, search strategies, and the key elements to look for when evaluating a potential institutional prospect. Also, discuss methods for proactively identifying corporate or foundation prospects — for your institution or for a particular project — and suggests ways to put your findings together and present them for various types of research assignments.
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The Frugal Researcher: How to Do Successful Research on Little to No Budget

Heather Reisz, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Course Length: 1 hour 17 minutes
Many research shops do not have large budgets and can not afford expensive tools, while some development departments don’t even have a research budget at all. Webcast shares free Internet resources and ways to access fee-based resources for free at public sources such as libraries. Learn how to access insider stock holdings, real estate assessments, salaries, biographical information, company information, philanthropic giving and foundation information. 
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"Don't Tell Anyone!" Donor Privacy Issues and Trends

Kate Fulz Hollis, University of California, Los Angeles
Course Length: 49 minutes
As almost any activity in our profession can change quickly, reviewing and understanding how to continuously maintain confidential data about our donors is essential. Learn about current and future trends in ethical practices: How can we maintain donor privacy? Order now >>

Stockholdings Research: Understanding SEC Filings

Charles Carr, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Course Length: 52 minutes 
Reading and understanding individuals' stockholdings reports can be a challenge, even for experienced researchers. Webcast includes an overview of the essential SEC filing documents and a step-by-step examination of the most important of all, the proxy statement. Free and paid sources that will help you translate this data into a solid estimate of a prospect's wealth, both current and potential, will also be shared. Order now >>