Through donations and bequests, individual donors typically account for more than three-quarters of charitable giving each year, and are looked to for consistent support of nonprofit organizations. Yet researching individual philanthropists is somewhat difficult because, unlike foundations, they are not required to publicly disclose their financial and philanthropic activities.

If your organization wants to learn more about strategies for researching and tracking information on donor prospects, this live chat will help you learn about:

• What crucial data you should have on your donors
• Time-saving techniques, as well as select research tools
• How to "keep tabs" on donor prospects through time
• Favorite strategies outside of the traditional ones

Want to make sure that your question gets asked? Send it to us in advance! You also can post questions or comments when the chat goes live, as well as interact with presenters and other readers.

Experts for this live chat:

Maria Semple is principal of The Prospect Finder, and training and consulting resource for finding and connecting with potential individual donors.  An experienced researcher, trainer and speaker on the topic of prospect research, she consults with organizations and firms interested in finding and connecting with their best prospects for long-term relationships.

Tony Martignetti, Esq. has been serving the needs of nonprofits since 1997. He hosts two podcasts: Tony Martignetti Nonprofit Radio and, for The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Fundraising Fundamentals. His expertise is in Planned Giving and Charity Registration compliance and he blogs, speaks and trains in those areas. Tony has been quoted widely. You'll catch him doing stand-up comedy at Gotham Comedy Club in New York City.

How Live Chat Works:

Live chats are text-only discussions that happen entirely online. It will NOT HAVE AUDIO. The chat window will "open" about 30 minutes before the event starts. If you cannot participate during the live event, the full transcript will be available afterward in our live chat gallery.