Raising money for your mission can be tough, especially when you're not sure which donors have the ability or interest to give more. That’s where nonprofit wealth screening comes in.
It helps you learn more about your donors so you can focus your time and energy in the right places. You’ll uncover things like who owns real estate, who gives to other causes, and who might have the capacity to make a major gift. That means less guessing, more results.
Think of it like this: instead of asking everyone for the same support, you get the tools to build smarter, more personal relationships with the people who care about your cause the most.
What is nonprofit wealth screening and why does it matter?
Wealth screening is a way for nonprofits to learn more about the people who support them. It helps you find out who might be able, and likely, to give a bigger gift. This isn’t about judging people by their money. It’s about using public info and giving history to better understand your donors and what they care about.
When we talk about things like real estate ownership, business ties, or past donations to other causes, we’re just trying to see the full picture of someone’s ability and interest to give. Combined with your own donor data, this gives your team a clearer view of who to reach out to and how.
This is also where wealth screening and prospect research often overlap. Prospect research looks at a donor’s interests and connections, things like volunteering or event attendance. Wealth screening focuses more on the financial side. Together, they give you the full story. And when you have the full story, your outreach can be more thoughtful, personal, and successful.
How the wealth screening process works
The wealth screening process starts with the donor data you already have. Think names, emails, mailing addresses, basic stuff. Then, that data is matched with public records and giving databases to find out things like who owns real estate, who’s on a company board, or who donates to similar nonprofits.
Once the data is collected, the software organizes it into scores or segments. This helps you quickly see which donors might be good fits for major gifts, matching gifts, or even planned giving. You’re not digging through spreadsheets, you’re looking at clear insights.
After that, your team can build custom lists, plan outreach, and shape your campaigns around the donors who are most likely to help you grow. You can also track how things change over time as new gifts come in or as donors engage with your campaigns.
Tools like Harness help automate this whole process. That means less time sorting data and more time actually building relationships.
What to look for in wealth screening software
Not all wealth screening tools are built the same, so it’s important to pick one that works the way your nonprofit works. You’ll want software that’s easy to use, gives you clean and accurate data, and connects with the tools you already have, like your donor CRM or email platform.
Look for features that help you spot major donors, match gifts, and segment your list fast. Real-time updates are a big plus. So is the ability to filter donors by things like business affiliations, real estate, or past giving to other causes. It should save you time, not make things more complicated.
Privacy also matters. You’re working with sensitive donor info, so make sure the tool follows all the right data protection rules.
Harness was built with all of this in mind. It’s designed to give you smart insights without the steep learning curve. Whether you’re just getting started or trying to grow fast, the right software partner can make all the difference.
Prospect research vs. wealth screening: What’s the difference?
These two terms get mixed up a lot, and honestly, we get why. Prospect research and wealth screening are closely connected, but they’re not the same thing.
Wealth screening is mostly about the numbers. It pulls in financial indicators, like real estate, stock holdings, or business ownership, to show who might be able to give a larger gift. It’s fast, data-driven, and great for sorting through large donor lists.
Prospect research digs deeper into the personal side. It looks at a person’s interests, values, and connection to your mission. Are they involved in similar causes? Do they attend your events? Have they volunteered in the past? This helps you figure out not just who can give, but who’s likely to want to.
When used together, these two give you a full view of your prospect donors. Wealth screening tells you the “how much.” Prospect research tells you the “why.” And knowing both can make your outreach more focused, more human, and way more effective.
Using wealth screening data to build a better fundraising strategy
Once you’ve got your screening results, the real magic starts. This is where your fundraising strategy becomes a lot more focused, and honestly, a lot more rewarding.
Let’s say the data shows you have a group of donors with real estate assets and a solid giving history. That’s a great list to share with your major gifts officer. Now they know exactly who to call for a one-on-one conversation or who might respond to a personal letter.
Or maybe your team’s working on a big campaign. You can use wealth screening data to create custom appeals for each donor segment, planned giving, challenge gifts, or even event sponsorships. The outreach feels personal, not random.
And it’s not just about major gifts. Screening also helps you find donors who give smaller amounts but give often. Those folks matter a lot when it comes to long-term growth.
With the right data in hand, your team isn’t just asking for money. You’re building thoughtful relationships based on real insights, and that’s what fundraising should feel like.
Visualizing your donor profiles: What indicators matter most
Once you start digging into your wealth screening results, patterns begin to emerge. But raw data can be overwhelming. That’s why visualizing donor profiles can be so powerful, it helps you see the full story at a glance.
Here are some key indicators you’ll want to focus on:
- Real estate ownership – People who own property, especially in high-value areas, often have more capacity to give.
- Business affiliations – Donors who serve on boards or run companies may have both wealth and influence.
- Charitable giving history – Past support for similar causes is one of the strongest signs they might support yours too.
- Stock or SEC filings – Public investments can show financial capacity that isn’t obvious elsewhere.
- Political contributions – These often indicate interest in philanthropy and willingness to give.
Use charts, segments, or dashboards to sort this info quickly. The more you can simplify the view, the easier it is to decide where to focus your time. And when the whole team sees the same picture, everyone can work together on smart outreach.
Top wealth screening tools and software for nonprofits
There are quite a few tools out there that can help with wealth screening, but not all of them are built for nonprofits like yours. Here’s a quick look at some of the options, and what sets them apart:
- Harness – A full-service platform that combines wealth screening with smart fundraising tools. It’s built specifically for nonprofits and includes expert support to help you use the data effectively.
- DonorSearch – Known for its deep philanthropic database and AI tools, this platform focuses heavily on financial insights and donor scoring.
- NPOInfo – Great for smaller organizations looking to enrich their donor lists with clean, useful data.
- GivingDNA – Offers advanced segmentation tools and strong analytics to help you spot patterns in your donor base.
- SEC.gov and FEC.gov – These public tools don’t offer full screening but can be used to research donor investments and political giving.
Each of these platforms has strengths, but the best tool is the one that fits your goals, your size, and your team’s capacity. If you want support that feels more like a partnership, Harness might be the one to consider.
Common challenges and how to overcome them
Wealth screening is powerful, but it’s not always perfect. There are a few common hurdles that nonprofits run into, and good news, they’re all fixable.
Challenge 1: Misreading the data
Just because someone has wealth doesn’t mean they’re ready to give. It’s easy to get excited about a high net worth score, but remember to check their past giving and connection to your cause. Context matters.
Challenge 2: Data overload
We’ve seen teams get stuck in spreadsheets instead of moving into action. Use tools that simplify things and highlight your top priorities, otherwise, the insights get buried.
Challenge 3: Privacy concerns
Donors want to know their info is safe. Make sure your software follows privacy laws and that your team handles the data respectfully. Be transparent if donors ask how you got their info.
Challenge 4: Not using the insights
This one’s big. Screening only helps if you do something with it. Make a plan to train your team and apply what you learn, whether that’s building a list for major gifts or customizing email appeals.
The goal isn’t just to have the data, it’s to use it in ways that grow your relationships and your mission.
How nonprofits use donor insights to win major gifts
We’ve worked with a lot of nonprofits that thought wealth screening sounded too complex, until they saw what it could actually do. Once the insights clicked, their fundraising changed for the better.
One small nonprofit we partnered with used wealth screening to prep for a year-end campaign. They identified donors with mid-level giving history and real estate ownership. Instead of sending a general email blast, they created a special letter just for that group. The result? Higher gift sizes and more responses than any year before.
Another team used their screening data to build a list of potential major donors. Their major gifts officer reached out with personal calls and notes. Within three months, they secured two large gifts that completely covered a new program launch.
It’s not about having a huge list, it’s about knowing who’s most likely to say “yes” when you ask for something big. With the right data, you can spot those people early and build a relationship that lasts.
More confident with every campaign
Fundraising doesn’t have to feel like a guessing game. With nonprofit wealth screening, you can move from “let’s hope this works” to “we know who to reach and why.” It gives your team the tools to be more focused, more personal, and more confident with every campaign.
Whether you’re planning a capital campaign, looking for major gift leads, or just trying to stretch your time further, wealth screening helps you do it smarter, not harder.
Harness gives your team the expertise and tools to turn data into donations, connect with us to see how.
