Every March, Apra celebrates our special community of professionals and encourages our members to share their prospect development pride. From our traditional roots in research to our expansions into relationship management, data science, campaigns, leadership, strategy and beyond, our industry’s myriad contributions are critical to the success of nonprofits around the world. There is nothing we can’t do — if we can access educational opportunities and resources to hone our skills.

Unfortunately, many organizations struggle to provide sufficient budget for professional development. Nonprofit staff are increasingly asked to do more with less, particularly as the federal funding landscape continues to shift. That’s why the Apra Foundation is asking for your support in honor of Prospect Development (PD) Pride Month.

Now more than ever, the Apra Foundation stands ready to support our members — not only by celebrating their success through the Apra Awards, but also by providing professional development grants to support their growth. To date, the Apra Foundation has given awards to 84 prospect development professionals and grants to 47 recipients, totaling to $10,400 in funds from the Foundation.

Apra grants create opportunities that help PD professionals level up and gain competitive skills, which are critical in today’s fast-moving landscape. “Receiving a grant through Apra has allowed me to pursue training in areas of special interest that I may not have had access to otherwise,” says Candace Olly, Apra grant recipient. “With this support, I enrolled in Apra Fundamentals: Data Science With R, to strengthen my technical expertise and enhance my ability to surface valuable insights. This opportunity has been instrumental in my professional growth, and I look forward to the new doors it will open in the future. Thank you for giving to make opportunities like this possible!”

For small shops, a grant can be the difference between maintaining the status quo and experiencing meaningful growth — not just for the individual, but the shop too. “I work in a small shop with a constrained budget. I constantly come across new things I’d like to learn about, but do not have the budget for,” another grantee shares. “Receiving the grant was like receiving a gift card to a bookstore, but for professional development; it’s a gift which keeps giving. … With additional access to relevant topics such as data science and prospect research fundamentals, I was able to apply improved best practices to my organization’s methodology. This directly improved efficiency and increased my shop’s understanding of the recommended best practices for our type of organization and database.”

These awards and grants are funded entirely by the generosity of our community. We are thrilled by the outpouring of support we have already received from many Apra International board alumni, who have created a match pool with their combined funds. Thanks to their philanthropy, all donations made to the Apra Foundation during March will be matched dollar-for-dollar, up to $1,750 total! You can follow our fundraising progress on social media with the hashtags #ApraMatch2025 and #PDPrideMonth.

"I was fortunate enough to receive the Apra Scholarship Award from the Apra Foundation in 2024. It was more than just professional development — it was a moment of validation and encouragement at a pivotal point in my career,” Liz Mills says. “It gave me access to learning opportunities that deepened my skills; more importantly, it connected me with a community that truly understands the impact of our work. I’m incredibly grateful to Apra for this support — it has inspired me to give back and continue growing in this field." 

Beyond financial assistance, Apra awards have the power to recognize hard-working professionals in our field and empower them in new ways— a reward in its own right. "I have always been passionate about volunteering with Apra and with other organizations I care about. Much of the work is behind-the-scenes and I'm happy to help people and causes in my own quiet way,” says Selene Hur. “I felt so honored when I learned that I had been nominated, and then absolutely stunned to find out that I was chosen as the 2024 Margaret Fuhry Award recipient! This recognition from the PD community means so much to me and I hope that my experience inspires others to get involved.”

Will you consider participating in the #ApraMatch2025 with a gift of your own? By leveraging this special match opportunity, your gift will have double the impact. Please click here to make your donation today!

Catherine Flaatten, MPH, CFRE
Associate Vice President of Prospect Development, BWF

Catherine Flaatten, MPH, CFRE, is the associate vice president of prospect development at BWF where she partners with clients to develop creative solutions to their prospect development challenges. Previously, she served in various roles at The George Washington University, most recently as the managing director of research and relationship management. Flaatten has also worked in prospect development at Share Our Strength/No Kid Hungry, the National Psoriasis Foundation and the BrightFocus Foundation.

A regular speaker and author, Flaatten currently serves on Apra’s Board of Directors, Fundamentals Committee and Foundation Board of Trustees. Former volunteer roles include serving as president and programming chair of Apra Metro DC, chairing the aasp Best Practices in Prospect Development and Apra Membership Committees, and serving on Apra’s Body of Knowledge and PD Curriculum Planning Committees.

Flaatten holds a BA in International Affairs and an MPH in maternal and child health, both from The George Washington University.