In 2025, Hollywood Reporter’s headline reported “Apple CEO Tim Cook’s Pay Rises to $74.6M.” That’s an impressive amount for anyone to make, much less in one year. But did he really take home that much money? It’s not that simple. That $74.6M is not in cash nor necessarily stocks or even available right now.
We may have heard the phrase “company insider” before but it may not be clear what it means. It definitely does not mean insider trading, which is something entirely different.
To end the year of 2024, we’ve decided to think about the wonderful things that prospect researchers can do for their fellow fundraisers. So, with a touch of mirth and joy, we propose…
We’ve heard it many times before; fundraising is all about relationships. But it’s not just about the relationships between an institution and its prospective donors. It’s also about the relationships between fundraisers, like prospect research and gift officers. Having a good connection with gift officers will benefit everyone. Researchers can provide the right information to major gift officers who are best prepared to cultivate and solicit prospective donors.
When I first heard of a family office, I thought it was a fancy way of saying a family business. Boy, was I wrong! Family offices are a way for families to manage their wealth – as if that wealth was a business. This can include managing family investments and companies, estate planning, education planning, vacations, and philanthropy.
We know that the best way to raise money for our organizations is through face-to-face relationships with our prospects. Like any relationship, we must put in time and effort. But sometimes, you need more than a company biography or what is in your organization’s database to establish that connection and maintain it. Knowing how to find the right information can be a struggle.
Imagine that you board a plane and just when you have reached altitude, the pilot comes on over the microphone and tells you that although you are scheduled to land in two hours, there is no fuel gauge. The pilot tells you they are optimistic and determined to arrive on time anyway. Would you believe me if I told you this is the way many organizations start their capital campaigns? It’s true!
Asking for a major or transformative gift is a little bit like asking someone to marry you. You’ve (likely) been dating one another for a while and know quite a bit about your respective interests. Maybe you’ve discussed marriage; perhaps you haven’t. Ideally, you have an idea that the other person will actually say “yes.”
For some prospects, it’s easy to know how they made their money. For instance, if they are a CEO or some part of the C-suite at publicly traded firm, there will be information about their salary, stock and other types of equity (like stock options and restricted stock units).
Remember the first time you got behind the wheel of a car? Maybe you had taken your learner’s permit test or not; maybe you had watched your parents closely as they drove. But when facing the wheel, pedals, and all those buttons for the first time, it might have been really daunting. I was frustrated the first time I got behind the wheel; no matter what I did, I could not get the car to go. I soon realized that no one had told me to push the brake while starting the car!