FAQs – questions about giftsearch answered
What is FR&C's Giftsearch?
It's a database of donations and donors to Australian and New Zealand nonprofits, all of them reported in the public domain, compiled by Fundraising Research & Consulting's staff.
It's designed to help fundraisers and researchers in the not-for-profit sector to find good information on philanthropic giving in Australia and New Zealand.
How is it researched?
We gather information from websites, annual reports and other public domain sources. The information is edited and checked by our experienced researchers.
Is it all in the public domain?
Yes. For every record we show the website or document where the information was sourced, usually with a live link.
What does it contain?
It contains more than 1.25 million records of philanthropic gifts, company sponsorships, and trustees for a range of nonprofits. "Nonprofits" includes charities, universities and schools, museums and arts organisations, as well as campaigning organisations.
The database includes:
The database includes the names of trustees and patrons of leading Australian nonprofits.
We include, for some records, additional notes on the donation — for example where the specific purpose of a gift is given in the public record.
For every record we show a link to the website or document from which the information was sourced. These links do go out of date over time, so older ones may no longer link to the source document; often this means that Giftsearch is the only place outside of the recipient organisation that the gift is permanently recorded.
How can I search in Giftsearch?
The database is fully searchable on any field, and any combination of fields. Users can search by name or partial name, or combine fields — for example, recipient type ("Arts/Culture") with amount ("More than $1,000"). See the help page for detailed information on searching effectively in Giftsearch.
Search results can be exported instantly into an Excel file. Note: there is an export limit of 1,000 records per search.
Is there a limit to the number of records I can download?
Yes, downloads are limited to a maximum of 1,000 records per search; however there is no limit on the number of searches a subscriber can carry out. If you need to download a larger number of records, contact us to discuss your requirements.
How will Giftsearch help my fundraising or development program?
In Giftsearch you can:
Example
Your organisation is planning a new appeal in the field of, say, animal welfare. Which other organisations have had notable gifts in this field? How much are donors giving? Who are the prospects?
By using combinations of Advanced Search options you can see who's giving to what, when and where.
Bear in mind that Giftsearch only reports on donations known in the public domain. It is not, and cannot be, a listing of all donations to all causes. It also does not contain contact details or address information for donors, so it is not always possible to confirm that the person you've found is the person you're looking for.
Can I download information?
Yes. It's fast and easy. Carry out a search, then click "Export to CSV" at the bottom of the results list. Your results will be instantly exported to an Excel file.
Downloads are limited to 1,000 records per search to protect our IP.
How far back does the data go?
We started compiling data in 2009, so most records are from the last 15 or so years. We continually add new organisations, recent data, and older records on significant donations. New Zealand data was added more recently and does not extend as far back.
Can anyone subscribe to Giftsearch?
Any nonprofit organisation in Australia or New Zealand can subscribe to Giftsearch.
What do I get for my subscription?
Unlimited access to the database, 24/7. Unlimited searches across all fields — text and numbers. Instant download of results into an Excel file.
How much is a subscription?
The current annual subscription is $995 + GST for nonprofit organisations.
How do I subscribe?
Contact us via our website.
Can I use this data for commercial purposes or to build a mailing list?
No. Special terms and conditions apply to ensure we comply with the spirit and the laws of data protection. The data does not include contact details for donors or recipient organisations.
Can I use AI tools to scrape or extract data from Giftsearch?
No. The use of AI tools, automated scripts, bots, or any other method to systematically scrape, extract or reproduce data from Giftsearch is strictly prohibited under our Terms and Conditions. Giftsearch is a proprietary database representing significant ongoing research investment. Subscribers are granted access for the purpose of individual research and prospect identification only. Any automated extraction — regardless of the tool used — constitutes a breach of your subscription agreement.
What are the Terms and Conditions?
FR&C's standard Terms and Conditions apply. The Specification referred to in the Terms and Conditions is as follows:
"Access, for subscribing organisation only, for one year from receipt of payment, to FR&C's Giftsearch for the purpose of promoting philanthropy by researching donations to Australian nonprofits. No part of the database may be used for any other purpose, nor may any part of the database be sold, leased or loaned on to third parties."
I have a concern about this data — what do I do?
If you have any queries or concerns about our data please contact us via our website.
What is FR&C's Giftsearch?
It's a database of donations and donors to Australian and New Zealand nonprofits, all of them reported in the public domain, compiled by Fundraising Research & Consulting's staff.
It's designed to help fundraisers and researchers in the not-for-profit sector to find good information on philanthropic giving in Australia and New Zealand.
How is it researched?
We gather information from websites, annual reports and other public domain sources. The information is edited and checked by our experienced researchers.
Is it all in the public domain?
Yes. For every record we show the website or document where the information was sourced, usually with a live link.
What does it contain?
It contains more than 1.25 million records of philanthropic gifts, company sponsorships, and trustees for a range of nonprofits. "Nonprofits" includes charities, universities and schools, museums and arts organisations, as well as campaigning organisations.
The database includes:
- Donor's name
- Recipient organisation's name
- Recipient's postcode
- Recipient organisation's sector (for example – "Education/Training" or "Arts/Culture")
- Where the information is available, the donation value or donation band (for example "$5,000-$10,000")
- Year that donation was made/recorded
The database includes the names of trustees and patrons of leading Australian nonprofits.
We include, for some records, additional notes on the donation — for example where the specific purpose of a gift is given in the public record.
For every record we show a link to the website or document from which the information was sourced. These links do go out of date over time, so older ones may no longer link to the source document; often this means that Giftsearch is the only place outside of the recipient organisation that the gift is permanently recorded.
How can I search in Giftsearch?
The database is fully searchable on any field, and any combination of fields. Users can search by name or partial name, or combine fields — for example, recipient type ("Arts/Culture") with amount ("More than $1,000"). See the help page for detailed information on searching effectively in Giftsearch.
Search results can be exported instantly into an Excel file. Note: there is an export limit of 1,000 records per search.
Is there a limit to the number of records I can download?
Yes, downloads are limited to a maximum of 1,000 records per search; however there is no limit on the number of searches a subscriber can carry out. If you need to download a larger number of records, contact us to discuss your requirements.
How will Giftsearch help my fundraising or development program?
In Giftsearch you can:
- Find donations by cause
- Find donations to a specific organisation
- Build lists of prospects who support a particular type of cause
- Build lists of prospects who have given to nonprofits in a defined geographic area
- Check your donors' other philanthropic interests
- Understand giving vehicles — whether a gift was made personally, through a Private Ancillary Fund, or via a corporate giving programme
Example
Your organisation is planning a new appeal in the field of, say, animal welfare. Which other organisations have had notable gifts in this field? How much are donors giving? Who are the prospects?
By using combinations of Advanced Search options you can see who's giving to what, when and where.
Bear in mind that Giftsearch only reports on donations known in the public domain. It is not, and cannot be, a listing of all donations to all causes. It also does not contain contact details or address information for donors, so it is not always possible to confirm that the person you've found is the person you're looking for.
Can I download information?
Yes. It's fast and easy. Carry out a search, then click "Export to CSV" at the bottom of the results list. Your results will be instantly exported to an Excel file.
Downloads are limited to 1,000 records per search to protect our IP.
How far back does the data go?
We started compiling data in 2009, so most records are from the last 15 or so years. We continually add new organisations, recent data, and older records on significant donations. New Zealand data was added more recently and does not extend as far back.
Can anyone subscribe to Giftsearch?
Any nonprofit organisation in Australia or New Zealand can subscribe to Giftsearch.
What do I get for my subscription?
Unlimited access to the database, 24/7. Unlimited searches across all fields — text and numbers. Instant download of results into an Excel file.
How much is a subscription?
The current annual subscription is $995 + GST for nonprofit organisations.
How do I subscribe?
Contact us via our website.
Can I use this data for commercial purposes or to build a mailing list?
No. Special terms and conditions apply to ensure we comply with the spirit and the laws of data protection. The data does not include contact details for donors or recipient organisations.
Can I use AI tools to scrape or extract data from Giftsearch?
No. The use of AI tools, automated scripts, bots, or any other method to systematically scrape, extract or reproduce data from Giftsearch is strictly prohibited under our Terms and Conditions. Giftsearch is a proprietary database representing significant ongoing research investment. Subscribers are granted access for the purpose of individual research and prospect identification only. Any automated extraction — regardless of the tool used — constitutes a breach of your subscription agreement.
What are the Terms and Conditions?
FR&C's standard Terms and Conditions apply. The Specification referred to in the Terms and Conditions is as follows:
"Access, for subscribing organisation only, for one year from receipt of payment, to FR&C's Giftsearch for the purpose of promoting philanthropy by researching donations to Australian nonprofits. No part of the database may be used for any other purpose, nor may any part of the database be sold, leased or loaned on to third parties."
I have a concern about this data — what do I do?
If you have any queries or concerns about our data please contact us via our website.