ABSTRACT
As prospect research has evolved out of the fund-raising world it is sometimes confused with other methods employed by charities. It is important to understand that prospect research is neither market research nor mass research. It is a new and quite distinct technique. Market research involves asking how the market as a whole will respond to an approach. It views individuals as part of a wider pattern. Mass research techniques involve acquiring an information source and cross-referencing it wholesale with your own database of prospects. Again, the individual is lost in the mass. Both produce useful results, but neither is prospect research. Prospect research takes this process one step further. For those few whose response can make a huge difference it is worth preparing an individually-tailored approach. That personal touch could be the difference between success and failure.
