Due diligence is a crucial element of the fundraising process however it can consume valuable time that should be spent by the founders on their business. It can be difficult to keep up with the constant flow of investor requests for information, which can result in delays in closing the funding round.
The level of due diligence in fundraising differs depending on the stage of a start-up and the type of investor. For instance, a seed stage company must be prepared to provide information to equity investors https://eurodataroom.com/fundraising-due-diligence-checklist/ such as venture capital firms and angel investors while later-stage companies may need to satisfy institutional investors by providing more thorough due diligence.
Tools that automate these searches reduce the workload on staff, and the time required to conduct due diligence in fundraising. Donor prospecting and screening software, for instance it can scan the web for data about donors and their companies and associations. This will save time and effort compared to manual research and ensure that all risks are taken care of.
In addition to performing searches for information on a potential investor and evaluating the risk of a potential investor, due diligence for fundraising involves establishing guidelines for the types of donations an institution will or won’t accept. This can include policies to prevent the donation of money or property by extra-legal means; guidelines that would prevent donors from exerting influence over an institution’s staff, trustees or programs; as well as rules regarding naming guidelines.
