Dartmouth College: Case study in efficient prospect research and due diligence

Reputational risk at Dartmouth College became a significant concern around 2018-2019, following high-profile cases like the Sackler family. These incidents highlighted the need for better management of philanthropic gifts to avoid negative associations. Dartmouth sought to establish clearer guidelines for reputational risk, initially looking at what other organisations were doing. Their first major experience involved a donor who disclosed that demonstrators often followed him, raising potential publicity risks. However, at the time, tools to assess reputational risk were limited. Dartmouth hired a company that provided a lengthy, expensive dossier, but the process was inefficient. Over time, they explored other tools but continued seeking a more efficient, confidence-building solution to identify red flags and risks associated with potential donors. Then, they found Xapien which has since centralised and streamlined reputational risk management.