If you’ve been in the prospect research field a while, you are probably on the Apra forums (known as PRSPCT-L from the list-serv days). And it was there that someone mentioned The Morning Brew newsletter. A year later I’m still hooked! It’s a great read over breakfast (sorry The Economist, you’re relegated to lunch). THIS is my Morning-Brew-inspired attempt for prospect research.

Why the break in the usual format? It’s all because summer slammed into Florida – and everywhere else. What could I possibly write about that would be interesting in skyrocketing temperatures? Thank heavens for past content and a growing nonprofit sector!

Random Stuff Shared at the Prospect Research Institute

The Institute’s Slack team is full of fascinating people and thankfully some of them share things.

• Have you noticed a results recession at Google? Bryan Campbell shared The New Yorker article that has some answers. Spoiler alert: You are not misremembering how many relevant hits you used to get.
• Just when we had all forgotten about the scintillating legal battle over web scraping of LinkedIn public content, Bryan Campbell reminds us all that although forgotten, the battle isn’t finished. It continues to be legal, however. Whew!
• Private-equity necrophilia. This is all you need to know to feel compelled to read this marvelous article on “A SPACtacular Hangover” in Crain’s, New York Business-Finance section shared by Deborah Drucker. Sorry, no hyperlink. You’re going to have to use your news media subscriptions to find this one, folks. Unless you join our Slack team…

Want to share cool stuff and chat about it? Email Brandy to get invited to our Slack team!

Most Popular Prospect Research #ChatBytes Episodes

• I was curious about this and, driven by the need for content, checked on top downloads. How is it possible that this painfully bad audio is one of the most downloaded? It is definitely a very cool story by a brilliant researcher and on an always hot topic: #2-Public Company Insiders and Fundraising – IRL Stories! Shout out to Anne Soulé.
• The strong demand for hybrid and fully-remote working arrangements is definitely a pandemic silver lining. I did not imagine pandemic lockdown when convening this panel of pioneering women in 2017: #18-#CareerCurious Telecommuting: Prospect Research from the Home Office. Shout out to Sandra Kent, Charity Jovanovic, and Lara Arlan-Wier.
• Impressed by Valerie Anastasio’s “Apra Talk,” I wanted to hear more. She delivered, and apparently, I’m not the only one crushing on her wisdom! #20-Prospect Profiles and the Future of Research

Do you have stories about your heroics with SEC filings or other fundraising research superpowers? Email Jen for a spot on #ChatBytes!

Shameless Self Promotion

• Is it okay if I blame Apra for my lack of concentrated thought this month? Because maybe I spent all my mental energy on this article for Connections: Prospect Identification as a Tipping Point to Hire for Research. Shout out to Sandra Montgomery and Ruthie Giles. I’ve got nervous energy over it. Agree? Disagree? Thoughts? Let’s get talking!
• And no surprise that corporate wealth is a hot topic on my blog. So much obfuscation! Top visits go to: Can you really hide LLC ownership? You Betcha! and Why do insiders disclaim beneficial ownership?.
• Next post in line for attracting eyeballs is <drum roll> Capacity Ratings! Researchers are obsessed with them. Not me of course. I just write about them. A lot. Stupid is as stupid does on using gift capacity ratings followed by Net worth vs. capacity: What’s the difference and why should you care?

Deep Dives

• For those of you who read authors like Chuck Collins and Brooke Harrington, you’ll appreciate the lawyerly approach in “Anonymous Companies” written by William J. Moon and published in the Duke Law Journal. Is it the ‘dark side of the moon’ or a very wordy deflection of criticism? Or both? You decide!
• I was one of the lucky few to nab a paper copy of Tim Sarrantonio’s Neon One report, Donors: Understanding The Future Of Individual Giving. That’s what happens when you show up live to a conference like Planet Philanthropy in Florida. I’m still in the middle of it, which came in handy whilst waiting in the dentist’s office today. Good stuff.
• Another book you might like is In Good Company: A Guide to Corporate Fundraising by Elisa Shoenberger at Aspire Research Group LLC. Elisa’s journalistic approach to the topic really makes it stand out. It’ll be good company for the rest of the books on your e-reader.

Alas, I don’t have oodles of swag to hand out like The Morning Brew. No electronic devices in exchange for recruiting 10 of your fellow researchers to join my email list. But hopefully, you achieved a bemused look or found a resource to read that knocked your un-branded shoes off.

Enjoy your summer and stay cool!