The Campaign Solutions Wealth Database was established in the late 1990s. It contains historical and published data, recorded on a weekly basis, mostly from on-­line sources, newspapers and business journals. It has documented, sourced information on over 25,000 high net worth and well-­connected individuals including:

  • Chairpersons, chief executives, directors and shareholders of leading companies
  • Leading professionals from sectors including IT, software, banking, dentistry, medicine, finance, property, architecture, engineering, law, media, pharma, publishing and more
  • Senior management in large multinationals
  • Art and antique collectors and vendors
  • Sports personalities
  • Successful farmers and land owners
  • Trustees of grant-­making foundations and charities
  • Philanthropists
  • Beneficiaries of company sales
  • Property vendors
  • Partners / husbands / wives and other family members of above.

The database contains only information from published, public domain sources. Typically, we hold the following information:

  • Biographical information: name, full or partial home address (in many cases), business, year / or approximate year of birth, education and name of his/her spouse/partner, number of children (if known).
  • Details of known affiliations, which could include directorships of companies, grant-­making foundations, philanthropic activities including donations, trusteeships, membership of appeal committees etc.
  • Any interests, e.g. sporting links, the arts, club memberships etc.
  • Other details which may include shareholdings and salary/remuneration.

Maintaining the Data

We update the database regularly and check any matched records before proving any details to a client. We check for people who have died or who have moved house, and update our records accordingly. We stay in touch with new and emerging wealth in Ireland from new public domain sources of data, both to find more people with money and influence, and to increase the depth of information that we hold. Every effort is made to keep our data as accurate as possible, taking into account the limitations of data found within the public domain from publically accessible sources. Campaign Solutions will review any data matches and update these records accordingly if and when necessary. Campaign Solutions abides by relevant data protection legislation and regulation and all other relevant legislation in its handling of data.

Using our Research Services and Personal Data

Campaign Solutions encourages you to be entirely transparent with your supporters about services that you use and the ways the data you hold on them may be processed and used. This includes for purposes such as wealth screening and other prospect research. Sample wording relating to wealth screening and prospect research for use is provided below.

“As a fundraising organisation, we undertake in-­house research and from time to time engage specialist agencies to gather information about you from publicly available sources, for example, Companies databases, the Electoral Register, company websites, published ‘rich lists’, social networks such as LinkedIn, political and property registers, media and news archives. We may also carry out wealth screening in order to fast track the research using our trusted third party partners. You will always have the right to opt out of this processing. We may also carry out research using publicly available information to identify individuals who may have an affinity to our cause but with whom we are not already in touch. We also use publicly available sources to carry out due diligence on donors in line with the charity’s Gift Acceptance Policy and to meet money laundering regulations. This research helps us to understand more about you as an individual so we can focus conversations we have with you about fundraising and volunteering in the most effective way, and ensure that we provide you with an experience as a donor or potential donor which is appropriate for you. If you would prefer us not to use your data in this way, please email us at …. or call us on …”

Balancing Test / Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA)

Any research should be undertaken in the context of fairness to supporters and the charity and the legitimate interests of the client to raise / engage in planning to raise additional monies for its cause.

Before Campaign Solutions undertakes new work it strongly recommends that the charity undertake a Privacy Impact Assessment. Campaign Solutions can provide the key questions for this exercise on request.

When relying on Legitimate Interest to process data for prospect research, three things should be present:

  • There is a legitimate reason, or purpose, for processing the data
  • The processing is necessary to achieve the purpose identified
  • The purpose of the processing could not reasonably be achieved in a manner which does not use personal data.

Should an organisation’s privacy policy be weak, this should be amended and then communicated to donors, who then have the opportunity to opt out ahead of any data screening / research.

Organisation Capacity

In planning the fundraising research, Campaign Solutions will also look at what it considers appropriate, given an organisation’s major gift plans and personnel capacity to follow through on any research work undertaken. Information goes out of date and there should be capacity to follow through once the research project is completed. This will be discussed in advance and form part of the contract.

The following infogram was produced by Prospecting for Gold in the UK and helps explain the various steps relating to prospect research.