Do anyone have any suggestions for different companies that screen your data for donor prospects? I've looked at Qbase, AskAnalyzer, WealthEngine and WealthPoint (BB software) Any I'm overlooking? Thanks - Beckie Rebecca L. Schafer Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Indiana [Email Removed]

We used WealthPoint several years ago and it was not cost effective to keep. We are currently in the process of sceening some of our donor's using WealthEngine and we are very happy at not only the turn around but they have fantastic customer service. I recommend WealthEngine. Susan Susan E. Zolbe Database & Stewardship Manager Capital Hospice Email: [Email Removed]

Wealth Engine is very good, but WealthPoint is nice if you want to easily connect the information to their Raiser's Edge record. We currently have Researcher's Edge with WealthPoint, which connects to Raiser's Edge records, but is a bit costly.

The trick about evaluating wealth screening software is to learn where they get their data from because most use the same sources so it is simply a difference in presentation of the results or application of the results into ratings or the like. Once you know which sources you want you should test drive them and see which presentations you like. Some simply give you the raw data on wealth and you can use it however you wish to determine capacity or whatever. If and how they factor the information into ratings is also important. If doing a simple capacity rating then I would chose one which lets you customize how to create that capacity rating. Wealthengine uses a standard but you can customize it (use 5% of income or 10% for example). With any raw data and/or capacity rating you will need to verify any information you get. You will never be able to simply import the information to RE and assume it is correct. Part of your plan for doing screening needs to include some staff resources and time for this verification. You want to fix John Smith getting credit for other people's stock, real estate, etc. Other anomolies need to be cleared up before including in RE. So you have the prospect tab (RE:Search module) With most research this is the only good place to store and analyze this information. Modeling is very interesting but for now I am not doing modeling because my database was previously so poorly organized I doubt you could identify a model donor from the info. Melissa S. Graves Director of Development Services The Village for Families and Children mgraves (at) villageforchildren.org www.villageforchildren.org GET ON THE BUS! Check out what the Blackbaud User Society is talking about today at www.blackbus.org!

One more thing... also factor in whether or not you can do bulk screenings. If you want to send all of your constituents through a screening and get their info back you can do this with Wealthengine and the like but not iWave - that is only used (someone correct me if I am wrong) for individual searches one at a time. Melissa S. Graves Director of Development Services The Village for Families and Children mgraves (at) villageforchildren.org www.villageforchildren.org GET ON THE BUS! Check out what the Blackbaud User Society is talking about today at www.blackbus.org!

At my old job we were in the process of contracting with WealthEngine when I left. We liked them because you could sort your database and have different levels of information returned, and the price changes accordingly. I do not know if others have that same service. I changes jobs before we received the complete return, but the information on the sample was reasonably accurate. Nina Williams The Cleveland Institute of Art www.cia.edu Making Art Work