Advancement · Grants and Funding

Ask the right people,
for the right amount.

Most gifts come from people who already know the school, can give at the level asked and care about the project. Score each prospect on those three, set a capacity range and an ask that fits it, and keep a dated public source behind every fact so the profile is accurate and fair to the person in it.

Add a prospectWhat you get
$12one-time · every device you sign in on
Buy · $12

Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Or get it in the Grant writer’s desk, $49 for 32 items.

Your prospects

The worked example is made up: three prospects for a school’s new science lab, with one ask above its capacity range and a step that is overdue. Saved on this device only.

Loading the prospect form. If nothing appears, turn on JavaScript.

What you get

Advancement · Grants & Funding$12 · included with Classroom and Whole-school licenses

What you finish with
A profile per prospect with the connection and project; linkage, ability and interest each rated 0 to 3 with the evidence; a capacity range and planned ask; public sources with what each shows and the date checked; the next cultivation step, date and owner. Scores and ranks prospects out of 9, totals planned asks, and flags an ask above capacity, no sources, an overdue step, no linkage and private matters in the notes.
Who it is for
Development directors, heads of school, foundation staff and volunteer fundraising committees at schools and education nonprofits.
Format
Browser organizer with a saved profile per prospect. Prints a profile, a ranked table of every prospect or a blank form; downloads a spreadsheet (.csv); exports and imports a file.
Access
$12 one-time, yours on every device you sign in on; the tool opens once you are signed in with it. Included with Caveat Classroom and Whole-school licenses. Also in the Grant writer’s desk ($49) and the Advancement Suite pass ($99), and 1 more bundle. Everything you type stays in this browser; nothing is sent to Caveat.
Where it lives
The Grants & Funding space in Caveat Advancement.
Support
Questions about access, an order or a correction: team@caveatacademic.com.

How to use it

  1. Add prospects who already have a connection to the school.
  2. Rate linkage, ability and interest from documented facts.
  3. Record every public source with the date you checked it.
  4. Set the ask inside the capacity range.
  5. Work the ranked list: the next step for the top prospects first.

Add a prospect

Linkage, ability, interest

Three questions before any askLinkageAbilityInterestAskOnly where all three overlap is a prospect readyfor an ask. The rest need cultivation first.
Linkage, ability and interest (LAI) is a common way fundraisers decide where to spend time.

Research ethically

Professional prospect researchers use public information that bears on giving, record its source, keep profiles confidential and leave out private matters such as health, religion, family conflict or anything shared in confidence. A donor should be able to read their own profile without feeling spied on.

Where capacity clues come from

Public donor lists in other organizations’ annual reports, foundation tax filings (Form 990-PF lists grants), public board roles and business ownership are common sources. None gives an exact figure; a range is the honest answer.

Sources

  1. Apra. Statement of Ethics and Ethics and Compliance resources for prospect development (aprahome.org).
  2. Association of Fundraising Professionals. Code of Ethical Standards and Donor Bill of Rights (afpglobal.org).
  3. Internal Revenue Service. Form 990-PF, Return of Private Foundation, and public inspection of exempt organization returns (irs.gov).
  4. CASE. Advancement resources for independent and public schools (case.org).

The worked example is made up, including the prospects and the sources. Donor information typed here stays in this browser; treat exports and printouts as confidential. Nothing you type is sent to Caveat. Support: team@caveatacademic.com.