This blog will walk you through how to find major donors by using tools and techniques you may already have, like donor records, reporting features, and wealth screening integrations. Before you ever send an email or make a call, your CRM can pinpoint the right people for major gift outreach.<\/p>\n
When to use this guide:<\/strong><\/p>\n Whether you\u2019re just starting with major donor prospecting or refining your strategy, this step-by-step guide will help you identify, qualify, and engage the donors who can take your mission to the next level.<\/p>\n You don\u2019t have to start from scratch to find major donors. It\u2019s likely you already know them! Your nonprofit CRM stores years of donor history\u2014giving frequency, average gift size, event<\/a> participation, volunteer hours, and more. These data points offer clues about a donor\u2019s capacity and affinity for your cause. Major donor research<\/a> begins by examining the supporters who already trust you.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s why looking inward to find major donors works:<\/strong><\/p>\n Common signs that a major donor may already be in your nonprofit CRM:<\/strong><\/p>\n Pro tip:<\/strong> Filter your donor data<\/a> by cumulative giving over time, not just single gift size. A donor who gives $2,000 annually for 10 years may be a stronger major donor prospect than someone who gave $5,000 once. Hidden philanthropists may not stand out at first glance, but their giving patterns, loyalty, or wealth indicators are already in your system\u2014waiting to be discovered.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n To find hidden major donors in your nonprofit CRM, you need more than intuition\u2014you need data. A strategic, data-informed approach is your strongest asset in uncovering high-potential donors already in your system.<\/p>\n Most donor management systems include built-in reports that help surface potential prospects.<\/p>\n For leadership teams:<\/strong> Custom reports also support executive planning and board reporting. They help you track trends, align strategy with fundraising priorities, and identify the donors who will drive long-term impact.<\/p>\n In DonorPerfect, for example, you can apply filters and run custom reports<\/a> to pinpoint donors who meet your major gift profile.\u00a0<\/p>\n Be sure your donor management system includes key donor fields<\/a> like:<\/p>\n These data points will power your segmentation and improve the accuracy of any wealth screening tools you use. Learn how to make the most of donor data fields<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Key reports to run in order to find major donors:<\/strong><\/p>\n Use custom reports<\/a> in DonorPerfect to identify high-value contributors. Apply filters to highlight those who\u2019ve given above a specific threshold or have a history of multi-year giving.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Donor data tells you who\u2019s most committed. Wealth screening<\/a> helps you identify who\u2019s most capable. These tools compare your donor data with public financial records to estimate giving capacity.\u00a0<\/p>\n Look for:<\/p>\n This type of prospect and major donor research takes your major donor strategy from guesswork to informed decision-making, helping you strengthen your major gift<\/a> program and deepen donor engagement.<\/p>\n DonorPerfect integrates with leading wealth screening partners like DonorSearch<\/a>, allowing you to screen donors directly within your nonprofit CRM. With scores and profiles returned instantly, you can prioritize outreach based on giving likelihood.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Want to see wealth screening in action? <\/strong>Watch how DonorSearch integrates with DonorPerfect to surface your top major donor prospects using real-time data.<\/p>\n\n
Hidden major donors: Why your best prospects may already exist in your nonprofit CRM<\/h2>\n
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Want to learn how to pull top donor reports, segment prospects, or run wealth screenings in your nonprofit CRM? DonorPerfect\u2019s personalized CRM training options<\/a> help you make the most of your data and fundraising tools.<\/p>\nHow to use donor data, reports, and wealth screening<\/h2>\n
Step 1: Start with donor reports<\/h3>\n
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![\"A](\"https:\/\/uploads.donorperfect.com\/images\/sites\/2\/custom-report-builder-1024x579.png\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nStep 2: Conduct wealth screening to identify prospects<\/h3>\n
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![\"Donor-Search](\"https:\/\/uploads.donorperfect.com\/images\/sites\/2\/donorsearch-panel.jpg\")
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