Looking to deepen your prospect development expertise before Prospect Development 2026? The pre-conference offerings at Apra’s premier annual conference in Chicago feature foundational and advanced learning opportunities. From Apra Fundamentals: Prospect Research and Relationship Management to Data Science Now and targeted leadership cohorts, these sessions deliver actionable skills, ethical strategies and fresh insights to bring back to your organization.
Can a small, budget-conscious prospect development shop build its own secure AI tool? In the latest issue of Connections, Nikolai Shchelkov, MSIS, MBA, shares how he designed and tested a secure, offline agentic AI prototype at Eastern New Mexico University. Running entirely on a single laptop with zero budget, this tool allows researchers to ask natural-language questions of their donor giving history and get immediate, calculated results without risking sensitive constituent data.
Apra International has launched its new 2026–2029 Strategic Plan, marking a major milestone for the global prospect development community. Built on the core pillars of Advocate, Equip, Connect, and Thrive, this plan establishes a clear, forward-looking roadmap to advance ethical, insight-driven philanthropy. It focuses on strengthening the association's industry voice, expanding learning pathways, and deepening community inclusivity.