There can be a lot of pressure in January to start new things. And while it’s exciting to prospect far afield for new major donors, we encourage you to start the year by looking a little closer to home. Here are four signs your existing donors might make the perfect major gift prospect.
They show up on our Wealth Intelligence Database
We’ve been building our Wealth Intelligence Database for 27 years. It contains information on over 270,000 high-net-worth and well-connected individuals and is updated daily.
When you undertake a wealth screen, we compare the information in your supporter database with our database. A prospect who appears on both is likely to be a potential major donor for your cause. And even better, because they’re on your database, you’re already connected with them.
They live in a million-pound property
Knowing the value of a property is a key step to understanding someone’s overall wealth. People who make up the top 1% of wealth in the UK have, on average, just 30% of their wealth in property. This means around 70% of their wealth is in either financial assets, pensions or other assets.
Our Million Pound Properties dataset includes over 800,000 properties with an estimated current value of at least £1 million. The estimate is based upon a known sale price and published property price indices. If you choose to undertake a wealth screening with us, we’ll automatically screen to identify Million Pound Properties matches as well, helping you find additional major gift prospects in your database.
They’ve gone through a life-stage shift
The start of the year is the perfect time to ensure your supporter database is up to date. Use LinkedIn, Companies House, Rich Lists, and other publicly available resources to spot signals that your supporters have gone through a life-stage shift. This could be things like:
- Retirement
- Inheritance or asset change (where this is publicly available or volunteered)
- Career seniority (board appointments, leadership roles, business ownership)
- Other personal transitions they’ve shared publicly (becoming a carer, relocating, life experiences)
Update your database with this information and use it to understand your donors better before making an ask.
They’re engaged with your cause beyond giving
Donors who engage with your cause beyond giving often care deeply about the work you do or the people you support. These supporters care about the outcome of your work and connect their personal philanthropy to your mission.
Indicators that a donor is strongly connected with your cause include:
- Attending events
- Opening and clicking emails consistently
- Responding to impact updates
- Volunteering their time or skills
- Connecting you with others
Use this engagement as a conversation starter with your supporters to understand what drives their connection with your cause.
What lessons from 2025 will you use to build your 2026 major gift pipeline?
Join our free webinar next month where we’ll explore:
- Trends in wealth in the UK.
- Where are the opportunities?
- Who is best placed to donate?
- How have we been identifying new potential donors?
- What have we learnt about major donors?
- How can we use this insight to refine plans for 2026?