Established in 1998, the Apra Margaret Fuhry Award is given to an Apra member committed to the prospect development (PD) profession, based on leadership, mentorship, and volunteerism. The 2025 recipient was Eresha De Silva, head of donor operations on World Vision Australia’s private funding team.
What follows is an email conversation between fellow Fuhry awardee Jeff Walker (2004) and De Silva. Learn how she entered the profession, what keeps her inspired, her advice for those new to the PD community, and more
This year, I had the pleasure of interviewing, via email, Kelli North, the recipient of Apra’s 2025 Distinguished Service Award. This honor, established in 1990, recognizes an individual who has significantly advanced both the prospect development profession and Apra through exceptional contributions beyond their daily paid work. The award recognizes excellence in professional and personal competencies that elevate learning, collaboration, and talent in our field.
Kelli currently serves as Associate Director of Development Research, Fundraising, and Strategic Alignment at the University of Michigan. Her work centers on embedding inclusive, pipeline-expanding practices into prospect development. She has led efforts to evaluate bias in wealth screenings, develop policies for identity and affinity data, and align development practices with social justice principles.
The Apra Scholarship Award is designed to promote professional growth and accessibility to educational programming. Get to know 2024 Apra Scholarship recipient Elizabeth Mills, whose commitment to professional growth and innovation exemplifies the spirit of this prestigious award in this Q&A.