Where can i find lists of businesses?

How can I find local rich lists?

• How can I find lists of wealthy individuals in my local area? A few people have told me that there are companies who will sell you lists of rich people in your area so you can hit them up for donations, grants, etc. I am well aware that there are organizations that can pair you up with donors, foundations and grants, but what I'm looking for is more specific. I'm looking for lists of wealthy individuals, and I've been told that these are available from marketing companies and the like. I have tried googling all sorts of things, but I mostly get national/international lists, or newspaper articles featuring specific rich people. I tried searching Ask Mefi but the results are mostly just people looking for funding in general. For what it's worth, I'm looking for data in Sonoma County, CA.

• Answer:

  Most county business journals do an annual list of the wealthiest individuals in the area. I don't see such a list in the http://lists.northbaybusinessjournal.com/index.htm, but I do see a list of the "highest paid executives of public companies". The book of lists also includes lists of the largest companies of various types, and generally includes the name of a top executive with the company. You should be able to find the book of lists at a local library. You can also try searching the local newspaper - sometimes they'll do a list as well. Other places to find wealthy individuals include the boards of local institutions (example: http://www.sonoma.edu/afd/ssuaf-membership.html. Sometimes the institutions will publish annual reports that list donors by giving levels. Political giving can also be a wealth indicator: someone who can donate $1,000+ to a candidate or PAC probably has money to spare. The Sonoma County political giving site is http://campaigndocs.sonoma-county.org/. There are also companies that compile information and sell it. http://www.richregister.com/ compiles information on individuals with a net worth of at least $25 million. You can purchase segments of the data, or see if you can get access to a subscription and get the Sonoma County data. https://www.nozasearch.com/ compiles information on charitable donations, which you can then search by area, topic, etc. Lastly, donor-advised funds are a good option for individuals who want to be philanthropic without the hassle of foundation administration and paperwork. Poke around on the site for the http://www.sonomacf.org/, and you may find the names of individuals who have established funds there.