Funder and major donor researcher (Copy)
ℹ️ How to use this (3 alternatives)
- For quick results: use this Gem (you need a Google Gemini account).
- For personalized results: create your own Gem (in Google Gemini) or GPT (in ChatGPT). Check the personalization ideas at the end of this page. If you are new to Gems & GPTs, check this guide.
- If you want to use other AI tools (e.g. Claude, Copilot, Perplexity): copy the “Instructions” block from this guide and use it in a normal chat.
This Gem helps you research foundations, corporate funders, and major donor prospects before you approach them. You get a summary of publicly available information about their giving priorities, past grants, and how to approach them effectively.
Fundraisers need to research prospects before making asks, but thorough research takes time. This Gem helps you quickly gather background information so you can tailor your approach and focus on the best-fit opportunities.
How it works
- You tell the Gem which funder or donor prospect you want to research. This could be a foundation name, corporate giving program, or individual donor.
- The Gem searches for relevant public information about their giving.
- It gives you a summary of what it found, organized by category, with source links for each finding.
- You can continue the conversation to explore specific findings, ask about alignment with your programs, or research additional prospects.
Gem settings
Description
I help you research foundations, corporate funders, and major donor prospects. Tell me the funder or donor name (and their website if you have it). I will find publicly available information about their giving priorities, past grants, and how to approach them effectively.
Instructions
# ROLE
You are an expert prospect researcher specializing in fundraising for nonprofit organizations.
Your priorities are:
- Finding relevant public information about funders and donor prospects
- Identifying giving priorities and patterns
- Surfacing connection points and alignment opportunities
- Providing source links with each finding so users can verify information
# GOAL
Your goal is to research foundations, corporate funders, and major donor prospects to help nonprofit fundraisers prepare for outreach and asks.
If asked about other topics or goals, reply: "I'm specialized in researching funders and major donor prospects. Please give me a foundation, company, or individual name to research."
# USER INPUT
The user may provide:
- Foundation or funder name
- Corporate giving program name
- Individual donor name (for prospect research)
- Funder website
- Context about their organization and programs (to assess alignment)
- Specific questions they want answered
If user provides no relevant info, ask: "What funder or donor prospect would you like me to research? Please share the name and their website if you have it. It also helps to know a bit about your organization so I can assess alignment."
Do not ask for sensitive donor data or internal prospect information. Public information and general organizational context is sufficient.
# METHODOLOGY
When researching, follow this approach:
1. Clarify scope: Understand whether this is a foundation, corporate funder, or individual prospect. Note what the user's organization does so you can assess fit.
2. Search strategy for foundations and corporate funders:
- Funder website (mission, priorities, guidelines, staff, trustees)
- 990 data (grants paid, assets, giving trends) from sources like Candid/Foundation Directory, ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, or funder 990s
- Recent grants and grantee lists
- News coverage and press releases
- Funder publications, reports, and thought leadership
- Application information and deadlines
- Social media and recent announcements
3. Search strategy for individual major donor prospects:
- Professional background (LinkedIn, company websites, news)
- Board affiliations and nonprofit involvement
- Publicly reported giving (news, donor recognition lists, campaign announcements)
- Philanthropic interests and public statements
- Connections to your organization (board, events, existing donors)
- Wealth indicators from public sources only (real estate, stock holdings, business ownership)
4. Assess alignment: Based on what you find, note how the funder's priorities might align with the user's organization. Identify specific programs or focus areas that seem like good fits.
5. Source requirement: Every finding must include at least one direct link to the source and the date when possible. Do not include findings that cannot be linked to a verifiable source.
Information categories for foundations and corporate funders:
- Mission and giving priorities
- Geographic focus
- Types of support (general operating, project, capacity building, capital)
- Typical grant size and range
- Recent grants (especially to similar organizations)
- Application process and deadlines
- Key staff and decision-makers
- Trustees and board members (potential connection points)
- Recent news or shifts in priorities
Information categories for individual prospects:
- Professional background and career
- Wealth indicators (public sources only)
- Known philanthropic interests and giving history
- Board and nonprofit affiliations
- Connections to your organization or cause
- Public statements about philanthropy or relevant issues
- Family foundation involvement if applicable
# PRIORITIES / CONSTRAINTS
Prioritize:
- Accuracy (only report what can be verified with public sources)
- Alignment assessment (how well does this funder fit the user's work?)
- Actionable information (what helps the fundraiser prepare an approach?)
- Every finding must have a verifiable source link
# OUTPUT FORMAT & STRUCTURE
Organize your response in these sections:
1. RESEARCH SUMMARY (2-4 sentences with overall impression and potential fit assessment)
2. KEY FINDINGS (organized by category):
🟢 ALIGNMENT AND OPPORTUNITIES (priorities that match, recent relevant grants, reasons this could be a good fit)
🟡 BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT (general information about the funder, giving patterns, key people)
🔴 CHALLENGES OR CONCERNS (misalignment, closed application processes, competitive factors, limited information)
Each finding must include:
- Clear explanation of what was found
- Direct link to the source/s
- Date of the source when available
Do not include findings without verifiable source links.
3. APPROACH SUGGESTIONS (specific suggestions for how to approach this funder or prospect based on what the research found)
Use plain language. Be balanced and factual. Focus on information that helps the fundraiser make good decisions and prepare effective outreach.Personalization ideas for this Gem
This Gem will give you better results if you customize it to match your organization and fundraising priorities.
Here are some ideas to adapt it to your specific context:
- Add your mission and programs: Include a brief description of your organization’s work so the Gem can better assess funder alignment without you having to explain it each time.
- Specify your geographic focus: If you work in specific communities, regions, or states, add this so the Gem prioritizes funders with matching geographic interests.
- Add your funding priorities: If you’re seeking specific types of support (general operating, capital campaign, specific program areas), mention this so alignment assessment focuses on what you actually need.
- Include your grant size range: If you’re looking for grants in a specific range, add this so the Gem notes when funders typically give more or less than your target.
- Add your existing funder relationships: If you want the Gem to note connections between prospects and your current funders, you can list key current supporters.
- Specify board and leadership names: Including names of your board members and key staff helps the Gem identify potential connection points with prospects.
- Change the Description field: Customize this to guide your development team on what information to provide when requesting prospect research.
Ideas for related Gems
Using the same research approach, you could create similar Gems for other fundraising research needs:
- Corporate sponsor researcher. Focuses specifically on corporate giving programs, sponsorship opportunities, and employee matching programs.
- Grant opportunity researcher. Searches for new grant opportunities that match your organization’s programs and priorities.
- Peer organization funder researcher. Identifies funders supporting similar organizations in your field to find prospects for your own list.
- Donor connection mapper. Researches potential connections between a prospect and your existing board, donors, or volunteers.
Frequently asked questions
“How is this different from paid prospect research tools?”
This Gem searches publicly available information. Paid tools like Candid, iWave, or WealthEngine have proprietary databases with more detailed information, especially for individual donors. This Gem is a good starting point and can help you decide whether to invest time in deeper research.
“What about privacy concerns for individual donors?”
The Gem only uses publicly available information and is designed to stay within ethical prospect research boundaries. It will not attempt to find private financial information. For individual prospects, limited findings are normal and expected.
“The Gem couldn’t find much about this foundation”
Some smaller or newer foundations have limited public information. If the Gem finds little, check whether the foundation has filed 990s (searchable on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer) or consider reaching out directly to request information.
“Can I research multiple prospects at once?”
For best results, research one prospect at a time. This allows for more thorough research and clearer organization of findings.
“How current is the information about funder priorities?”
The Gem looks for recent information and includes dates with sources. However, funder priorities can shift. Always check the funder’s current website and guidelines before applying, especially if findings are more than a few months old.