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October 29, 2015 By Helen Brown 3 Comments

Hidden Treasure

World Finance KalendarLast week I had the pleasure of a long layover at Heathrow, so I wandered around trying on Barbour coats, admiring Chanel scarves, and disappointing bored shop assistants in the luxury shopping mall that masquerades as an airport terminal.

As I widened my circuit I passed one of the gates and noticed some neatly-arranged business-y magazines that didn’t look familiar under a COMPLIMENTARY! sign. My gimlet eye spied a cross-armed CEO standing proudly on the cover of one, and the words “Jockey Club” on the cover of another.

Well, well, what have we here? I thought, and sidled over. Picked up one, then the other, and dropped into the nearest seat to have a leaf-through.

As I dug deeper into my new discovery, World Finance, it occurred to me that we’re all almost overly aware of the go-to business mags – Fortune, Forbes, Bloomberg, The Wall Street Journal and their kin. They’re handy, of course, for our kind of research. But while you may learn a lot about a CEO’s business philosophy, you don’t get much about their philanthropic interests or the people they spend their social time with.

But leafing through these two magazines reminded me that there’s a whole other sea of media that do cover these things, and World Finance and Kalendar magazine are just the tip of a very large iceberg that we ignore at our peril.

My research this week turned up just a small sampling of publishers and their periodicals to give us all a head start building our alternative resource lists. Here are a few of my favorites:

Archant Media

Archant is the largest publisher of regional and local lifestyle magazines and associated digital media in the UK, with 80 magazine titles reaching more than three million readers every month across the UK and United States.

Their numerous titles include Berkshire/Buckinghamshire Life, Royal Ascot Magazine, French Property News, and SW19 Resident. Note: some of the magazines are directly available on the web; others are available only for iTunes subscribers who live in the UK.

Armadillo Media

Moving on from the largest UK publisher to a small boutique operation in the US, Armadillo publishes Long Island Pulse magazine which is worth a look if you have prospects that may have weekend homes near to Manhattan. Recent articles include Two Decades of Collecting Art and The Humble, High-End Winery. Long Island Pulse have a lovely section of People Profiles and also feature descriptions of the top 5 “Haute Habitats” sold each month.

Modern Luxury

Modern Luxury has magazines covering the wealthy and philanthropic in 15 cities/regions including Aspen, Chicago, Dallas, The Hamptons, Hawaii, Miami, Orange County and Washington, DC.

Imagine my delight when the first article I saw was an in-depth look at the wide-reaching relationships of several top philanthropists in Aspen written by a fundraiser friend of mine!

Specialist Insight

Specialist Insight is an information-and-events company for the luxury market. Their titles include Private Art Investor, Helicopter Investor and Corporate Jet Investor as well as a handy e-book for valuing private planes called The Official Guide to Aircraft Registration.

Spear Publishing

Spear’s is the magazine for the European ultra high-net-worth (UHNW) individual and the legions of people who make their lives run smoothly, including accountants, bankers, lawyers, art advisors, and family office managers. Of particular interest to us is the Spear’s 500, an annual listing-and-description of the top advisors serving that realm.

SPH Magazines

SPH’s specialty area is the luxury market in Asia. Their feature magazines are called The Peak, which have interviews and society photos of the glitterati in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Indonesia. Other SPH titles include Luxury Insider, with more interviews and photos of Asia’s most affluent people and where (and with whom!) they socialize.

WNMedia

Back to the first title that caught my eye in the airport shopping area, here is the link to World Finance. The glossy September/October 2015 is 202 pages and weighed down my carry-on by nearly another kilo (no kidding). Still, it was worth it to learn about the World Finance 100 – profiles of individuals and companies celebrating…

“those who have reached the pinnacle of achievement across a wide variety of fields of expertise, as well as those organisations and individuals that lead the way in driving their industries forward.

Each year World Finance compiles the list of 100 individuals and companies – not according to capitalisation figures or growth (like the FTSE 350 or Deloitte Fast 500 respectively), but purely on excellence in their field.

The list presents the new business elite, made up of those whose vision and enterprise shapes the conceptual landscape of finance, business and technology.”

The 2015 list isn’t out yet, but there are archives of past lists going back to 2009 (!) on the site.

European CEO is another one of their titles, but don’t let the name fool you: biographies abound on corporate leaders from around the globe in this publication. Articles range from increasing the number of women on corporate boards to the ins and outs of superyachts. Recent biography subjects include Under Armour Founder and CEO Kevin Plank and Oregon construction company CH2M Hill CEO Jacqueline Hinman.

What else is out there?

Don’t forget the mainstream regionals: search for mentions of your prospect or their company in a local-to-them magazine like Boston, New York, Chicago, Texas Monthly, Cincinnati and Ocean Drive (Miami). Many times these publications aren’t picked up in LexisNexis or Highbeam Research, so taking the extra time to look locally can sometimes turn up gold.

Dig down to local newspapers, too: I live in a suburb of Boston, and every week my community paper does an interview with a local business owner or resident.

Also, professional associations are a great place to look…including the Association of Magazine Media itself, which has a great list of members and their publications.

Oh, and one more thing: there’s a ton of nouveaux (and not-so-nouveaux) riches to be found in the social e-rags. These ‘zines cover the same beat as society newspapers of old. Samples include New York Social Diary and Social Miami (don’t miss the photos and check out their blog Charity Chat, which also has grip-n-grins).

Finally, one VERY BIG thing that a journalist friend cautioned me to remember: Forbes, Fortune and their ilk are mainstream precisely because they are so reliable. They have an army of fact-checkers and they employ seasoned journalists. So, as with everything, do be sure to fact-check anything you find in non-traditional media sources.

What under-the-radar publications do you know about? Click on comments and share with everyone!

Filed Under: Effective searching, International prospect research, Researching Companies, Researching Individuals Tagged With: Archant Media, Armadillo Media, Association of Magazine Media, Bloomberg, Buckinghamshire Life, Corporate Jet Investor, European CEO, Forbes, Fortune, French Property News, Haute Habitats, Helicopter Investor, Kalendar, Long Island Pulse, Luxury Insider, Modern Luxury, New York Social Diary, Official Guide to Aircraft Registration, Private Art Investor, Royal Ascot Magazine, Social Miami, Spear's, Specialist Insight, SPH Magazines, SW19 Resident, The Peak, Wall Street Journal, WN Media, World Finance

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Josh began his career in development as the Phonathon Coordinator at Keene State College. He then worked at non-profit consulting firm Schultz & Williams in Philadelphia.

He started his research career at the University of Pennsylvania as a Research Assistant in 2005. He then moved over to the Wharton School of Business, where he became the Associate Director, Research and Prospect Management. Josh joined the Helen Brown Group in 2016.

Josh is also a Colorado licensed Realtor and graduate of Lehigh University.

In March 2017, Kristina joined the Helen Brown Group as a Research Associate. Before joining HBG, she was the Research Manager at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and an Associate Manager of Prospect Research at City Harvest, a food rescue organization. Kristina started her non-profit career as a legal assistant at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2004.  She is a member of Apra and Apra Greater New York. She was Apra Greater New York’s Director of Programming from June 2014 to May 2016. Kristina graduated from The University of Chicago and the Bard Graduate Center.

Grace began her career in development in 2001 as Executive Assistant to the Chief Development Officer with Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), a Harvard Medical School-affiliated academic medical center.

In 2003, she became a prospect researcher for the BWH principal and major gifts team and spent the next 11 years in various research positions with BWH, culminating as Assistant Director of Prospect Research. She has been affiliated with The Helen Brown Group since January 2014.

Heather began her career in 2002 as a prospect research coordinator for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and then moved to Carroll College in 2004.

In 2005, Heather began working on her own as a freelancer and eventually started her own consulting firm, Willis Research Services, in 2007. She joined The Helen Brown Group in 2012.

Heather is a member of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement and the Montana Nonprofit Association.

Jennifer began her career in development at her alma mater, Wheaton College, where she was an administrative assistant for the major gifts department.

She joined The Helen Brown Group in March 2008. She earned a master’s degree in library science from the Southern Connecticut State University in May 2009. Jennifer is a member of APRA and NEDRA.

Rick has been a member of the Helen Brown Group team since 2005. Prior to joining HBG, Rick was director of research at St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire. Rick has worked in development since 1996, both in prospect research and major gifts fund raising. His experience includes the University of Vermont, Phillips Exeter Academy and St. Paul’s School.

Rick is past president of NEDRA and is a member of and frequent volunteer for APRA.

Josh began his career in development as the Phonathon Coordinator at Keene State College. He then worked at non-profit consulting firm Schultz & Williams in Philadelphia.

He started his research career at the University of Pennsylvania as a Research Assistant in 2005. He then moved over to the Wharton School of Business, where he became the Associate Director, Research and Prospect Management. Josh joined the Helen Brown Group in 2016.

Josh is also a Colorado licensed Realtor and graduate of Lehigh University.

Mandi has worked in prospect research and management since 2006. She began her development career as a research analyst in development research at City of Hope, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in Los Angeles. From there, she became the manager of prospect development at Huntington Memorial Hospital, a community hospital in Pasadena, CA. Most recently, she was the associate director of prospect research and management at Occidental College, a private liberal arts college in LA.

Mandi has a BA degree in print journalism from Southern Methodist University and a master’s degree of library and information science from UCLA.

She joined the Helen Brown Group in May 2019.

Kelly began her career in development in 2008 as an administrative assistant in Major Gifts at Wheaton College.

In 2010, she became a research analyst at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the Division of Development & Jimmy Fund as part of the prospect identification team. Kelly joined The Helen Brown Group in 2013.

She is a member of APRA and NEDRA.

Jayme began her career in development in 2008 at the Rutgers University Foundation, where she spent the next seven years, first in prospect management and then prospect research. She spent several years at Monmouth University as their senior prospect research analyst, working with the fundraising staff, university president, and top leadership. She has worked as both a volunteer and consultant for non-profits in the areas of research and writing.

She earned a bachelor of arts degree from Drew University and a master of communication and information sciences from Rutgers University. She is a member of APRA.

Jayme joined The Helen Brown Group in April 2019.

Julie has managed finances for The Helen Brown Group since its founding.

In her spare time, she is an editor for the PBS series Masterpiece at WGBH. Julie was nominated twice for an Emmy award for her work on the PBS show Zoom.

Heather began her career in development in 2001 as a prospect researcher for National Wildlife Federation (NWF). She was with NWF for more than thirteen years, including nearly five years as director of research and analytics. Heather is a former secretary of the board of directors of APRA-Metro DC.

She joined The Helen Brown Group in October 2014.

David began his career in development at The Gunnery school in northwest Connecticut in 2011, where he worked in database management and prospect research. Subsequently, he joined the College of Saint Rose as a development research analyst before leading Albany Medical Center Foundation’s prospect research efforts as Associate Director of Prospect Research. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Siena College and is a member of APRA and CASE.

Michele began her career in development in 2012 when she joined the UC Berkeley corporate and foundation relations team as a development analyst. She spent a year and a half at Cal before returning to UC Davis as a prospect analyst. She was with the prospect management and relations team at UC Davis for almost three years prior to joining the research and relationship management team at George Washington University as a Senior Prospect Analyst in 2016.

Michele received her BA in creative writing from Florida State University and her MA in higher education leadership from CSU Sacramento. She currently resides in Northern Virginia, is a member of Apra International, and serves as the social media chair for Apra Metro DC. Michele joined The Helen Brown Group in July 2018.

Kenny has worked in development since 1999 and has been involved in prospect research since 2002. Prior to joining The Helen Brown Group, he was the director of

Prior to joining The Helen Brown Group, he was the director of donor and prospect research at the United Way of Massachusetts Bay. Kenny is a member of APRA and NEDRA.

Angie has worked in development since 2002, partnering with a wide range of nonprofit institutions. She began her professional career at Vanderbilt University in research and prospect development.

She has also worked with a number of community nonprofits in front-line fundraising, grant-writing, and event management. Angie holds an MPA in Nonprofit Management from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and a BS in Journalism from Middle Tennessee State University. She resides in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a member of AFP Nashville and APRA MidSouth, where she has been active on the executive team.

She joined The Helen Brown Group in October 2015.

Tara began her career in development in 2002 on the major gifts team at Simmons College, where she ultimately served as assistant director of prospect research.

Since that time, she has worked as a senior research analyst at MIT, as associate director of prospect management and research at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and most recently as director of development research at Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP). Tara originally joined the Helen Brown Group team in 2007 and served as a research associate and ShareTraining coordinator until 2008 – she rejoined the company as a senior researcher in 2013.

Tara currently serves as vice president of the New England Development Research Association (NEDRA), where she chairs the Website and Technology Committee and formerly served as editor of NEDRA News. Tara has also been involved with the Membership Committee, Chapters Committee, and Bylaws Task Force of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA).

Maureen has been a part of the non-profit world since 1991. She started out in annual giving at Harvard Law School and continued her career as director of annual/special gifts at UC Santa Cruz.

In 1999 she made the switch from front-line fundraising to serve as director of prospect research/management at Bentley University and in 2001 began her role as administrator for the North American Foundation for the University of Manchester. She became part of the HBG team in September of 2011.

Helen has been a development professional since 1987. Her previous experience includes The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Albert Einstein Institution, Boston College, the Harvard School of Public Health and Northeastern University.

Currently she works with a variety of clients to establish, benchmark and re-align research departments; identify major gift prospects; and train researchers and other fundraisers through on-site and web-based training services.Helen is a former member of the board of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA) and is past president of the New England Development Research Association (NEDRA). In 2006 she received the NEDRA Ann Castle Award for service to the prospect research community.

Helen is Special Advisor on Fundraising to the North American Foundation for the University of Manchester and is a member of the board of directors of Factary Ltd. (Bristol, UK). She is a member of NEDRA, APRA, the Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP), Women In Development, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and Researchers in Fundraising (UK).

Helen is a frequent speaker and has led seminars for a number of professional associations, including Action Planning, AFP, APRA, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), NEDRA, RIF, the Planned Giving Council of Central Massachusetts, the Georgia Center on Nonprofits, the International Fundraising Congress and Resource Alliance.

Helen is also co-author (with Jen Filla) of the book, Prospect Research for Fundraisers (Wiley & Sons, 2013).

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