Dear Apra Community,

As we turn our calendars to 2026, make personal and professional resolutions, and do other things that beginning a new year entails, the Content Development Committee (CDC) is taking a moment to reflect on contributions from you, our members, that shaped 2025. It was a year full of change, creativity and conversation across the prospect development community. Apra Connections continued to be a space where practitioners shared insights, learned from one another, and elevated the field through best practices, experiences within our organizations, and big-picture thinking.

Now in its third year, the CDC revisited the most-read Connections articles from 2025. What follows is our 2025 “Best Of” list of standout pieces from across the four  Body of Knowledge categories that informed, challenged, and inspired us. We’re confident you’ll benefit from revisiting them as much as we did.

Whatever your own New Year’s traditions may be, we hope the CDC’s annual “Best of Connections” articles reignite your commitment to and excitement for our profession. We look forward to continuing to produce quality content from and for you, our members! Thank you to all of our contributors – we always welcome and appreciate content submissions.

Best,

Jennifer Liarakos and John Whitney, CDC co-chairs

Data Science:

Author Andrew Gutierrez explores how tracking your organization’s event attendees can reveal insights into relationship networks, constituent affinity, and donor engagement more meaningfully than relying solely on external data sources. By integrating event participation data with moves management and affinity modeling, development professionals can uncover otherwise hidden connections, better understand individual interests, and strengthen their overall fundraising strategy.

Don’t Overlook Your Organization’s Events Data

Leadership:

Two articles tied as top articles in the Leadership category for 2025:

Drawing on insights from more than 40 professionals, author Jennifer Moody outlines several approaches to writing event bios - from producing bios for every attendee at every event, to focusing only on select individuals (or none at all). She then highlights how these practices affect our time, and the potential return on investment for leadership.

Prepping for Your Super Bowl: Comments From Opposing Teams on Event Bios

Jennifer Moody explores how prospect development professionals can bring clarity and resilience to their organizations amid shifting economic landscapes and institutional priorities. Insights shared from across our field provide a practical roadmap for navigating uncertainty while reinforcing the value of thoughtful, long-term planning in prospect development.

 

Steady Strategies for Shifting Times: How PD Can Mitigate Uncertainty

Professional Development:

Lindsay Rogillio and Rachael Dietrich Walker offer practical guidance based on their respective experience for building stronger partnerships between prospect development professionals and frontline fundraisers. Drawing from voices across our profession, the article outlines actionable strategies- such as clear communication, shared expectations, mutual respect, thoughtful preparation, and proactive follow-up- to enhance collaboration and drive better outcomes.

Apra Fundamentals: 5 Tips for Successfully Working With Development Officers

Prospect Research:

Tim DeCelle examines how moves management has evolved from a tactical, at times, restrictive checklist into a more thoughtful, relationship-centered practice. The article blends historical context with a critical look at traditional frameworks, inviting prospect development professionals to question assumptions, elevate dialogue with fundraisers, and reimagine moves as a dynamic, human-centered process rather than a series of mechanical steps.

Moves Management: History, Practice and Critical Reimagining

Relationship Management:

Katelyn Martin summarizes findings from a community-wide survey on how prospect development professionals are implementing moves management (also known as relationship management) in their organizations. The article highlights trends and common practices– like frontline staff working directly in the CRM; challenges – like getting proactive data into the CRM; and innovations– like technology and initial uses of AI- from respondents across diverse institutions. Katelyn’s article offers a data-driven snapshot of how the field approaches moves planning and execution in everyday settings.

Show Us Your Moves (Management): Apra Member Survey Results