Do you think ADs Google parents of applicants?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes 12:00, it's more than google. They research your salary range, stock holdings if they're public, what boards you sit on, your home value and loan information and charitable giving to name a few.

FYI, a complete donor profile is typically done on parents that don't ask for Financial Aid.

Is it true that a donor profile is done on families that do not ask for financial aid; how do you know? Where is this information found (i.e., salary range?) What is form 990?

If the schools can used sophisticated tools to research my financial status and giving ... what's good for the goose is also good for the gander. Sorry, the WSJ is not quite as sophisticated. It'll do if you get my drift. Salaries are a big part of the costs of private schools...like in other sectors of America!

[Anonymous]

http://fundrace.huffingtonpost.com/


If you don't think information is out there about what you give, here is a site that tracks political donations.

[Anonymous]

13:53, not coy. Just marveling at how lazy you are to expect someone to explain fundraising and prospect research to you. For free?

Seriously, are you incapable googling "prospect research."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:13:53, not coy. Just marveling at how lazy you are to expect someone to explain fundraising and prospect research to you. For free?

I think you're lazy and don't really know as much inside scoop about "prospect research" as you're implying. The fact that you're unwilling to summarize it suggests to me that you cannot.

Below is a summary I found. To me, this suggests that for purposes of most local private school families, there's no "magic database" that will tell you much about their finances. For those very few who have gobs of money and have a history of donations, that can be tracked. For most of us who are not major donors though, the schools won't be able to figure out much beyond the my current employer, how much I paid for my house, my college graduation date, my $300 donation to John Kerry in 2004, and the fact that my times on CoolRunning suck. Whoop-dee-doo ....

From Wikipedia ...
"Prospect research, also known as development research or fundraising research, is a process in fundraising wherein a researcher identifies and provides relevant information about potential donors to an organization. Prospect researchers are usually employees of universities, charities or other not for profit organizations. Some are freelancers, or work for private companies. Organizations generally employ prospect researchers to find and qualify potential "major" donors who have the resources to make a large gift to the organization, although the definition of a "large" gift can vary considerably. A prospect researcher will assess an individual's, company's or charitable trust or foundation's capacity and propensity to donate. Prospect researchers use a variety of resources, including public records, business and financial publications, and Internet databases.
Most prospect researchers adhere to a code of ethics to protect both the institutions they represent and the prospects they research.
Prospect researchers will conduct research to evaluate a prospect's ability to give, also called capacity (how much the individual is worth) and warmth toward the organization, a.k.a. affinity (how close the prospect feels to the organization). Prospect researchers may also analyze data in a donor or constituent database to identify new potential major donors or to predict which groups of constituents are most likely to make major gifts.
Wealth ratings usually refer to a prospect's capacity to donate. One of the most common sources used by prospect researchers for this task are Rich Lists. The Sunday Times Rich List is widely referred to by prospect researchers, but its overall value is disputed. There is a large variety of algorithms that many scholars use in regards to a wealth score, most would agree in America real estate is the main indicator.
Research is generally conducted via the Internet, but also with subscribed databases like Factiva, LexisNexis and FAME. A researcher may also use government managed resources like Companies House, the Charity Commission or HM Land Registry. Other useful resources include Debrett's and Who's Who, which can provide good general background on any prospect."

[Anonymous]

I think you're lazy and don't really know as much inside scoop about "prospect research" as you're implying. The fact that you're unwilling to summarize it suggests to me that you cannot.

Below is a summary I found. To me, this suggests that for purposes of most local private school families, there's no "magic database" that will tell you much about their finances. For those very few who have gobs of money and have a history of donations, that can be tracked. For most of us who are not major donors though, the schools won't be able to figure out much beyond the my current employer, how much I paid for my house, my college graduation date, my $300 donation to John Kerry in 2004, and the fact that my times on CoolRunning suck. Whoop-dee-doo ....

From Wikipedia ...
"Prospect research, also known as development research or fundraising research, is a process in fundraising wherein a researcher identifies and provides relevant information about potential donors to an organization. Prospect researchers are usually employees of universities, charities or other not for profit organizations. Some are freelancers, or work for private companies. Organizations generally employ prospect researchers to find and qualify potential "major" donors who have the resources to make a large gift to the organization, although the definition of a "large" gift can vary considerably. A prospect researcher will assess an individual's, company's or charitable trust or foundation's capacity and propensity to donate. Prospect researchers use a variety of resources, including public records, business and financial publications, and Internet databases.
Most prospect researchers adhere to a code of ethics to protect both the institutions they represent and the prospects they research.
Prospect researchers will conduct research to evaluate a prospect's ability to give, also called capacity (how much the individual is worth) and warmth toward the organization, a.k.a. affinity (how close the prospect feels to the organization). Prospect researchers may also analyze data in a donor or constituent database to identify new potential major donors or to predict which groups of constituents are most likely to make major gifts.
Wealth ratings usually refer to a prospect's capacity to donate. One of the most common sources used by prospect researchers for this task are Rich Lists. The Sunday Times Rich List is widely referred to by prospect researchers, but its overall value is disputed. There is a large variety of algorithms that many scholars use in regards to a wealth score, most would agree in America real estate is the main indicator.
Research is generally conducted via the Internet, but also with subscribed databases like Factiva, LexisNexis and FAME. A researcher may also use government managed resources like Companies House, the Charity Commission or HM Land Registry. Other useful resources include Debrett's and Who's Who, which can provide good general background on any prospect."

Thread bare and cukoo as usual

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:13:53, not coy. Just marveling at how lazy you are to expect someone to explain fundraising and prospect research to you. For free?

Seriously, are you incapable googling "prospect research."

Dude, do you want to post a paypal link and solicit from us greedy gossip mongers? I think what people are asking for is more juicy, entertaining details on how DC private school development officers in particular develop donor profiles of every family not on financial aid. This is, you know, happy giggles and whispers, fun and free - not an educational seminar on a career in prospect research.

[Anonymous]

There is a software that they can use that will also reveal the cyber history of the applicant.

This is not true. You cannot reveal the "cyber history" of the Mac laptop I'm working on right now unless you hack my computer. Which is illegal.

Law enforcement agencies can occasionally do this if they get a warrant, but the standard is very, very high. Also, companies like Google fight these subpoenas very vigorously.

So rest easy, DCUMs, Sidwell will not know if you clicked on a nudie pic from AmateurSexVideos.dot.com unless their front office is doing something very nefarious.

[Anonymous]

Thats not what I meant --- if YOU post a picture on facebook and then think twice about it and remove it -- it is still there. It is always there. No they are not/can not hack into your computer history to see what sites you visit, etc.

[Anonymous]

Actually the risk that everything you post online is there. But not everything remains traceable if you delete something. It works in mysterious ways, ergo the advice to post with care.

[Anonymous]

Privates are creepy on so many levels Caveat Emptor!!!


Are the gains really worth the sacrifices???

[Anonymous]

Admissions Directors don't Google or do online research families. They don't have time. (Nor do their staffs.) Yes, research is done once families are at schools by the development/advancement (money-raisers). I sometimes feel that on DCUM parents really want it to be all about them, despite the posts decrying admissions of "connected" people, because it makes people feel more in control. It's mostly about the kids, and the higher the grade level, the more that is true. Admissions people have enough to read in hundreds of files just focusing on the students themselves without making more work by compiling dossiers on families.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Yes 12:00, it's more than google. They research your salary range, stock holdings if they're public, what boards you sit on, your home value and loan information and charitable giving to name a few.

FYI, a complete donor profile is typically done on parents that don't ask for Financial Aid.

HA! We are not on financial aid, but I bet they were sorely disappointed after running the research on us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes 12:00, it's more than google. They research your salary range, stock holdings if they're public, what boards you sit on, your home value and loan information and charitable giving to name a few.

FYI, a complete donor profile is typically done on parents that don't ask for Financial Aid.

HA! We are not on financial aid, but I bet they were sorely disappointed after running the research on us.

Why? We're not on financial aid, but don't have money left over for more than a small donation. But my kid is a great kid who contributes to the school in many ways, I volunteer when I can, my family loves the school and encourage others to apply. I can't imagine they're disappointed in us.

[Anonymous]

Don't think it stops with parents. GDS asks for applicants' GRANDPARENTS' names and addresses -- and not just in the alumni section!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't think it stops with parents. GDS asks for applicants' GRANDPARENTS' names and addresses -- and not just in the alumni section!

Many schools do this. They like to send little newsletters to the grandparents and, of course, solicit donations. I always wonder what part of my parents' social security checks they believe should be contributed. I am a rags-to-middle class (by DCUM standards, of course) story, so it amuses me when they send my parents things hoping that my kids are somehow related to the modern equivalent of the Rockefellers. Um, no.