Believe it or not, a lot of information probably exists in your home and office right now that will assist your funder research. If you pay attention, everyday contacts with nonprofits will yield valuable information on their donors and board members.

Being a fundraiser changes the way you experience the world. Attending a concert is great, but it’s also an opportunity to obtain a list of the orchestra’s donors, conveniently listed in the program. What restraint it takes not to read the donor list during the performance! Going to see the latest museum exhibition? Be sure to pick up the brochure to see who funded it (and don’t forget to check the labels on the paintings to see who donated them).

It’s not just arts organizations that offer this valuable information to the public. Brochures describing any type of service will likely credit the funders. But annual reports offer the greatest insight into who pays for what. Annual reports cost a lot to produce, so not every organization will have one, but even the simplest report will contain a list of the charity’s most important donors.

How do you get hold of the competition’s annual reports? Ask. Smart fundraisers know that a new grant to your charity will not result in a decrease in funding for their charity. After all, they hold the stronger position as a current grantee. I’ve had colleagues call to ask me what my experience has been with a particular foundation, and I’ve made those calls, too. Don’t, however, ask a colleague for her donor list, a list containing addresses and other possibly confidential information. And if your colleagues aren’t willing to share information, make a small contribution to get on their charities’ mailing lists and then call as a donor to request a copy of the annual report.

After you’ve assembled a number of programs, brochures, and annual reports, it’s time to cross-check names. You’ll find that individual donors and foundations tend to support a limited number of causes. If the prospective funder appears in the listings of two organizations, definitely put them on your prospect list. If they turn up on three or more lists, put them at the top.

This can be somewhat tedious work, but it shows that some research still needs to be done offline.

Without even asking, you’re probably receiving prospect information in your mailbox every day. Benefit invitations carry lists of donors. Plain old requests for donations might include board lists. As a grant writer, you don’t have the luxury of throwing away unsolicited mail from any charity. Add these mailings to your offline research file for cross-checking and mining.

Although the most current information is usually found online only, directories, books, newsletters, and a wide variety of materials from nonprofits still appear in print. If you lack easy Internet access, you’ll do well working with the print resources to get started, but you’ll want to check the Internet for the latest information.