It’s March, and with that comes the promise of longer days, the organizational anxiety associated with spring Giving Day and the celebration of the 9^th annual International Research Pride Month.

Each March, our community comes together to celebrate our profession. This of course includes prospect research, but also our relationship management, data science, campaign, annual fund, donor relations and advancement services colleagues. As strategic information and data professionals, we pride ourselves in the fundamental tasks and processes from which our front-facing colleagues may achieve success. We are critical to our organization’s mission. We know it, and we should celebrate it!

We share our stories of how we found advancement as a career path, we raise awareness of the value our work delivers and we celebrate and thank those that have furthered the field through their talents and efforts.

This year, I want to recognize and publicly credit two lifelong prospect development professionals for introducing me to the field, and for inspiring me to realize that I could (and should) contribute to the profession: Barb Thurler and Marianne Pelletier.

Barb Thurler worked at Beloit College when I was an undergraduate student, but we never met during that timeframe. Years later, she would hire me as a research analyst when the prospect research team doubled in size — to two! I had finished my master’s degree in Michigan a few months prior; my personal life had imploded (I’m looking at you, graduate school) and my professional life was yet to be established. I needed a clean slate in an industry that aligned with my values. I saw the job posting via Facebook; the idea of returning to a familiar place was more appealing than venturing somewhere new. Once again, I would reinvent myself at Beloit.

Barb taught me that very few answers in prospect research are clear — much more often, “it depends.” She helped me understand how data was used to inform strategy, both at the individual and aggregate level. She demonstrated how to develop a good policy and when it needed to flex. She reinforced that available information on a prospect was almost always fallible, but through conversation a prospect’s true character would emerge. The goal of prospect research is to provide insight and reduce risk, but uncertainty remains when human decisions are involved. People are messy and, mostly, unpredictable. Barb encouraged my curiosity and let me lead some areas of our database conversion. She also encouraged my professional development by successfully securing budget for us to both attend the Apra Prospect Development Conference in Minnesota that summer.

It was at that conference that I met Marianne Pelletier, who presented a breakout session. As she packed up, I approached her and asked a question, its specifics lost to history. It was her reply that stuck with me: “Oh, I’m no expert at this stuff. Next year it’ll be you sharing what you know.” (Let the record show I disagree with this — she is absolutely an expert.)

Marianne’s warmth, natural mentorship and pay it forward vibe gave me the first impression of the inclusiveness and collegiality of this profession. She made me feel like I had something to contribute to this community, simply by observing and reflecting on my experiences. I didn’t have to be an expert to engage in the profession. That, in its purest form, is what I love about Apra and why I’m so humbled to lead the association. We each have valuable contributions to offer, via time through volunteering, talent through presenting or writing content, or treasure by donating to the Apra Foundation.

One primary function of the Apra Foundation is to support members for whom cost to professional development is a barrier, by providing grants to access Apra educational programming.

The Apra Foundation celebrates Research Pride month through a fundraising campaign to support the Professional Development Assistance Fund. One hundred percent of funds raised directly support these assistance grants. In the last three years, we’ve awarded 21 grants of $200 each, for a total of $4,200 in support.

This year, we’ve established a match challenge from the Apra Board of Directors: the first $1,000 in donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar for double the impact! Former Apra President Helen Brown and former Board Member Jay Frost have pledged lead gifts, and we have full participation from the Apra Board of Directors and Foundation Board of Trustees. We are all in for the Apra community — and we invite you to join us.

One of the things I love most about our community is how supportive and generous our colleagues are with one another. In that spirit, I am giving in honor of Barb and Marianne for their contributions to the profession and my professional growth.

I hope you will consider joining me in celebrating Research Pride with a gift to the Professional Development Assistance Fund. Who will you give in honor of this March?

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Go all in with Apra this month and donate to the Professional Development Assistance Fund online here: www.aprahome.org/apramatch