Happy spring to all! This season is a time of growth, and I enjoy watching trees and flowers bloom (even if they do make me sneeze). Over the last few months, however, we’ve seen change and uncertainty in the world and our field. Thankfully, there’s at least one thing we can count on: our Apra community. I’m grateful to have built relationships with so many of you and hope you continue to lean on each other as we face rapid change and new challenges each day.  

I’d be remiss to not mention that in March, we held an online forum, providing a space for prospect development professionals to gather and discuss the ways the U.S. government’s actions are impacting the field and our organizations. More than 160 individuals joined us, with several Apra volunteers generously giving their time to moderate virtual rooms broken out by industry sector. Future forums are being planned to help us continue the conversation. If you have a suggestion for a topic that would help your shop or want to recommend someone who can share their experience, please reach out to connections@aprahome.org. 

One thing I appreciate about the Apra community is our interest in learning from each other. We saw this last year when a webinar focused on small shop best practices drew record attendance. In response, Apra has launched Plug in to Small Shops, a two-day virtual event that builds off last year’s interest. From May 20-21, participants will learn how to advocate for themselves and their teams, demystify affinity scores, craft an organizational playbook, use agile strategies and more. Please consider joining us — your Apra peers are a great resource, especially when you’re a team of one or just a few people!

As we make our way through the year, it’s hard to believe we are only three months away from Apra’s 2025 Prospect Development (PD25) conference in Baltimore! I have been fortunate to attend many PD conferences throughout my career, starting with one in San Diego 20 years ago. If you’re a first-time attendee this year, my hope is that you, too, find your people at PD and are able to join us for many more years to come.

In my career, I’ve experienced a number of roles, from brand-new prospect researcher to an advanced researcher, to manager and team leader. I’ve also shifted types of organizations during that time. Throughout this journey, my excitement for attending PD has remained constant. I know I will learn something new that I can bring back to my organization, go deep in conversation with peers, connect with our sponsors and learn what’s next in our field. And it’s a two-way street — I also get the opportunity to share what my team has been working on and provide lessons others can take back to their organizations. Most importantly, I get to meet and hang out with some really cool people from around the world who do the same type of work I do!

I’m excited to experience what our Conference Planning Chair Michelle Brownlee (no known relation 😉) and the amazing committee of Apra volunteers have curated for all of us. I’ve already made notes to attend “Turn Messy Data into Quality Insights” with Jessica Roberts and Tory Pedonti. Data hygiene is a big topic at my organization, and I am always looking for strategies to enhance the cleanliness of our data. “Partners That Align: Due Diligence Strategies for Corporate and Foundation Relations” with Kevin Vaugn caught my attention because managing financial and reputational risk is always top of mind. I’m looking forward to looking at it from the corporate/foundation perspective. “From Chaos to Clarity: Change Management Strategies for Prospect Development Teams” is also high on my list. Change is the only constant in our profession and change management is essential to success. There are so many others I’m excited to attend — the conference schedule is packed!

Just as we’ve grown in our careers, Apra’s PD conference has evolved over the years too. As our field expanded to include prospect management, data science and more, the event followed suit with providing new content to match our needs. This year, two new pre-conference workshops — Apra Fundamentals: Relationship Management and the Emerging Leaders Cohort — reflect this change and are a direct result of hearing your feedback.  

Apra Fundamentals: Relationship Management is designed for fundraising professionals who want to build a strong understanding of relationship management, portfolio optimization and strategic donor engagement. If you or a team member are new to the field, or just looking for a refresh, this is a great opportunity to gain experience in this essential area of our work.

The Emerging Leaders Cohort will provide more programming for mid-level leaders. We’re excited to introduce this new offering for PD professionals with three or more years’ experience. This interactive program is a great fit if you’re looking to flex your strategic thinking skills, learn how to lead and enhance your ability to influence and inspire others.

In addition, Apra Fundamentals: Prospect Research, Data Science Now and the Executive Leadership Cohort will return as pre-conference workshops. With several options to choose from, these sessions are a great way to kick off the week with your peers. 

For those who are unable to travel to PD25, I want to highlight the PD Virtual Ticket. This virtual option gives you access to general sessions and education across four session rooms throughout the event. Afterward, you’ll receive access to all available session recordings. While nothing quite matches the in-person experience, we know it’s not possible for everyone; this registration option allows you to still learn from your peers in a way that fits your schedule.   

As an Apra PD veteran — I’ve been an attendee, a speaker and a Conference Planning Committee member — I want to thank all of our volunteers, members, sponsors, exhibitors and others who raise their hands to participate in our annual conference. I’ll see you all in Baltimore!

Anne Brownlee
President, Apra; Managing Director of Prospect Strategy and Research, Teach For America