“My brother works for this big heimishe entrepreneur. They say the guy is a real ba’al tzedakah. Maybe it’s k’dai for you to get in touch with him?”
It’s exciting when someone drops the name of a potential donor. Who knows – that name could become a major supporter of your organization one day.
But what if that name doesn't turn into anything? Following up on these leads takes time and effort, and sometimes very little comes of it.
Here’s a simple 3-step process to help you “qualify” prospects – to determine which names should be pursued, and which should be… dropped.
Step 1 – The Connection Piece
It helps enormously if you have some connection to the prospect. Someone who knows both you and the potential donor and could make an introduction.
Who’s your connecting point? Perhaps the “name-dropper” himself. Perhaps a current donor, a board member, or even a friend. Whoever it is, a personal connection makes it much more likely that the prospect will respond.
Step 2 – The Research Piece
Your well-meaning name-dropper surely has only the best intentions. But you can never really know if they have their facts straight.
Is this person really in a position to give? Does he actually give as generously as you've been told? And does he support causes like yours?
So, ask your name-dropper: do you know who else this person has given to? Do you have a sense for how much he gives? Can you give me any more info?
A little online research can help you here as well. Look up the prospect’s name and try to answer these questions:
- Does this person really have money?
- Do I find examples of charitable giving?
- Do they support organizations like mine?
And anything else you can find out about the person may help you decide how to approach him – or whether he's worth pursuing at all.
Step 3 – The Measuring Piece
Once you’ve gathered this information, how do you decide which prospects to prioritize? I've developed a helpful little tool for that. I call it TPQ (The Prospect Qualifier).
TPQ looks at three things: Connectedness, Ability, and Fit.
I've given Connectedness more weight because being able to actually reach a potential donor makes such a difference.
Here's how to score each one:
Connectedness: Do you know someone connected to the prospect?
- No one (0 points)
- Yes, and I can use their name when reaching out to the prospect (1 point)
- Yes, and I can count on them to get me in touch with the prospect (3 points)
Ability: Does the prospect give at a level that would be significant to your organization?
- No clarity on whether or not they give significantly to others (0 points)
- Research shows they do give to others on a level that would be significant to my organization (1 point)
Fit: Would your prospect support your type of project?
- No clarity (0 points)
- Yes, he gives to organizations like mine (1 point)
(For a non-frum donor, that might mean that he gives to Jewish organizations in general. For a frum prospect, it might mean he gives to your type of cause.)
Once you’ve done your rating, here’s how to count things up:
4–5 points? Level 1. Great prospect. Worth prioritizing. Worth significant time, focus, and energy. You have a strong way to reach him, together with evidence of his giving ability or fit for your cause.
2–3 points? Level 2. Good prospect. Worth a reasonable effort. You have some reason to believe he could be a worthwhile donor, even if you don't have the full picture yet.
0–1 points? Level 3. Low-priority prospect. If you have better prospects in your pipeline, focus on those first. If you don’t have better prospects, you’ll want to work on getting more clarity or building some kind of connection to this not-yet-qualified name.
Take a few minutes to qualify the names on your list before deciding whom to pursue.
And that’s a statement I don’t have to qualify!
B’hatzlacha raba,
Avraham
© 2026 Avraham Lewis & Co.