USC DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH
The Basic Wealth ID
a methodology
with
FAQs


1. What is a Basic Wealth ID?

2. When is a Basic Wealth ID appropriate?

3. What information should the requesting Development Officer provide?

4. What is the time frame for a Basic Wealth ID?

5. How can lists of prospects be processed?

6. What does a Basic Wealth ID include?

7. What is the Research Format (Form)?

  What is a Basic Wealth ID?

A Basic Wealth ID is a brief survey of wealth indicators used to help determine if a subject is a major gift prospect (usually $25,000+).

When is a Basic Wealth ID appropriate?

1. When a Development Officer has information that a subject may be a major gift prospect and would like additional confirmation.
2. When a list of prospective board members needs to be screened.
3. When a list of major donor prospects needs to be prioritized.

What information should the requesting Development Officer provide?

Ideally, everything she/he already knows about the prospect. However, here are some minimum requirements:

Always required:
1. Name of Prospect (preferably spelled correctly and including a middle name or initial)
2. Reason for Request
3. Any Deadlines (meetings, events)
For best results, must include one or all of the following:
1. USC Connection (degree, giving, board, etc.)
2. Address (business and/or residence)
3. Other information that might link prospect to wealth, such as board affiliations, hobbies, club memberships

What is the time frame for a Basic Wealth ID?

1. One week or by deadline indicated by Development Officer
    Deadline Note: All requests for 24-hr (or less) turnaround must be cleared by Paul Kirchgraber
2. For multiple requests (lists), the Research Analyst will contact the Development Officer and discuss an appropriate time frame. Also, the form and type of information needed can be customized for processing large numbers of prospects quickly

How can large lists of prospects be processed?

Even with the wide range of electronic resources available, no Development Research Department has a product that bulk processes a large number of names to provide full, current profiles. Each name must be run through a variety of sources (see The Form below) by individual Research Analysts.

Lists should be prioritized before and after arriving at Development Research.

Before list arrives at Development Research:
1. Alumni and donor lists can be pre-screened by AIS-D
       examples of screening criteria: for giving ability and interests or for wealthy zip codes
2. Lists of prospects can be screened by volunteers for their suitability
3. Lists can be reviewed by Development Officers
        examples of screening questions: What is the source of prospect name?; Is there an upcoming meeting or event?; Is there a business/philanthropic/school connection?; Is only one piece of information actually needed (ex.: an address, degree, business affiliation)?

After list arrives at Development Research:
1. The Research Analyst will call the Development Officer to discuss a time frame.
2. To speed processing, the Research Analyst and Development Officer can decide on a shorter list of sources to check or less specific analysis (in other words, more source photocopies.)
3. The Research Analyst will discuss the focus of the list with the Development Officer because the more focused (wealth, USC connections, addresses, proper spellings) the list is up front, the faster additional research can proceed

What does a Basic Wealth ID include?

The Basic Wealth ID includes a summary cover sheet (the The Form below) and any pertinent copies of supporting documentation. By design for time-saving reasons, the Basic Wealth ID presents a minimum of analysis and relies on attached documentation for details.
 

The Form:
USC CONNECTION CHECK AIS-D FOR THIS INFORMATION:
Degree:
Total Giving:
Focus of Gifts:

OR None located as of Insert Date Here

STOCK HOLDINGS CLICK HERE FOR BASIC STOCK METHODOLOGY
Company Name:
Total Shares: 
(remember to indicate direct, indirect, options, etc.)
CHECK HOOVER'S ONLINE FOR PRICE PER SHARE:
http://www.hoovers.com/ 
Total Stock Value (as of Today's Date): $

OR None located as of Insert Date Here

BUSINESS If a subject is an executive, not just a director, in any firms located by 10KWizard or in a company listed in a proxy bio,
CHECK HOOVER'S ONLINE FOR THIS INFORMATION:
http://www.hoovers.com/ 
Company Name:
Sales (year):
Earnings (year):
Position:
See also attached Hoover's Company Capsule

If no companies were located by 10KWizard or a proxy bio indicates an executive position in a private company,
CHECK D&B MILLION DOLLAR DATABASE FOR THIS INFORMATION:
http://www.dnbmdd.com/
Company Name:
Sales Est.(year):
Position:
See also attached D&B profile

OR None located as of Insert Date Here

REAL ESTATE HOLDINGS CHECK REAL ESTATE DATABASE FOR THIS INFORMATION:
Total Calif. properties:
Combined assessed value: $
See also attached real estate reports

OR None located as of Insert Date Here

PHILANTHROPIC CONNECTIONS CHECK FCSEARCH FOR THIS INFORMATION:
Foundation name:
Total Annual Giving:
Position:
See also attached FCSearch profile

OR None located as of Insert Date Here

CLEARANCE CHECK AIS-D FOR THIS INFORMATION
Name of DO:
Date:

OR None located as of Insert Date Here

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION If none of the sources above give any information,
CHECK DOW JONES PUBLICATIONS LIBRARY
Search All Dates, All Sources
http://www.marshall.usc.edu/library/resources/index.html

Or use this space to include useful tidbits found that do not fit in the sections above

Prepared by: N.E. Taylor