CFRE Domain #1: Current and Prospective Donor Research Questions and Answers Updated 2026

CFRE Domain #1:
Current and Prospective
Donor Research
Questions and Answers
Updated 2026
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BAnswerEnsuresBappropriateBresourceBallocation,BhelpsBbuildBstaffBandBvolunteerBconfi
dence,BandBaddsBanBelementBofBjoyBandBdiscoveryBtoBprospecting



FiveBkeyBsourcesBofBinformationBforBresearchBare:B-
BAnswerPersonalBcontacts,BparticipationBrecords,BpublicBinformation,Bpeers/advisors/exp
erts,BandBpublications/Breports.



ComponentsBofBaBusefulBprospectBprofile:B-
BAnswercompleteBcontactBinformation,BbusinessBhistory,BgivingBhistoryBwithByourBorgan
ization,Bcultivation/BsolicitationBcontactBrecords,BpubliclyBavailableBgivingBinformationBfr
omBotherBorganizations,BsourcesBofBinformationBcheckedBforBtheBprospect,BandBmostBr
ecentBreviewBdates,BgeneralBandBspecificBinterests.



DevelopBaBsystemBforBongoingBresearchBincludesBusingB-
BAnswerelectronicBdataBenhancement,BandBsoftwareBtoolsBtoBaidBresearchBandBtrackin
g.



ElectronicBanalysisBofBgivingBhistoryBandBdonorBinformationBfromBin-
houseBdonorBdatabases...B-
BAnswerprovidesBanBeasierBwayBtoBidentifyBimportantBtrendsBasBwellBasBconsecutiveBa
ndBcumulativeBdonorBhistories.

, ElectronicBscreeningBofBprospectsBandBdonorsBcanBhelpBidentifyB"wealthBindicators"Bto
BsegmentBthemBintoBaBminimumBofBtwoBcategories:B-
BAnswergeneralBgivingBandBupperBlevelBgiving.BThisBhelpsBtoBtargetBappealsBandBsolicit
ationsBmoreBaccuratelyBandBeffectivelyBregardlessBofBtheBcampaignBtype.



ElectronicBdata-
gatheringBfromBaBvarietyBofBsources,BincludingBtheBInternet,BcanBenhanceBtheBvalueBof
Bin-
houseBdatabasesBandBleadBtoBfurtherBsegmentationBofBprospectsBandBdonors.BThisBcan
BbeBusedBto:B-
BAnswerincreaseBtheBamountBofBinformationBavailableBaboutBexistingBdonorsBandBpros
pects,BandBincreaseBtheBlikelihoodBofBgivingBandBupgradingBdonors.



KeyBfeaturesBtoBconsiderBinBsoftwareBtoolsBtoBhelpBwithBresearchBare:B-
BAnswerdonorBdataBentry,BgiftBprocessing,BdonorBcommunicationsBandBacknowledgeme
nt,BcommitmentBandBmembershipBtracking,BandBreporting.



AccurateBdonorBrecordsBincludeB-
BAnswerknowingBwhichBdonorBinformationBtoBtrack,BensuringBeffectiveBrecordBstorage,
BandBconsideringBuseBofBaBCustomerBRelationshipBManagementBsystemB(CRM)



HistoricalBdonorBinformationBisB-
BAnswerinformationBaboutBlevelBofBsupportBandBwhatBkindsBofBcampaignsBhaveBbeenB
supported



PlanningBdonorBinformationBisB-BAnswerhowBtoBcontactBtheBdonorB(phone,Bin-
person,Bemail,Betc);BappropriateBinformationBaboutBtheBdonorBthatBwillBaidBstrategyBpl
anning



AccountingBdonorBinformationBisB-
BAnswerforBtheBorganization,BgoverningBagencies,BandBtheBdonor.



HowBshouldByouBensureBthereBisBeffectiveBrecordBstorage?B-
BAnswerAccurateBandBtimelyBupdates,BsecurityBandBconfidentialityBofBdonorBfiles,Binclu