Moving into management often feels like a catch-22: how do you gain leadership experience without first being given the title? Building on survey insights from 70 prospect development managers, this piece outlines actionable ways individual contributors can develop key management skills—such as strategic thinking, emotional intelligence and team empowerment. From leading cross-functional projects and supervising volunteers to seeking mentorship and volunteering with Apra, learn how to proactively prepare for your next career milestone.
Strategic portfolio optimization goes far beyond basic data cleanup—it underpins efforts to ensure top prospects receive the targeted focus needed to generate major gifts. Designed specifically for prospect development professionals, Apra's upcoming Fall session of Plug In: Plug in to Portfolio Optimization delivers actionable, proven frameworks to define, assess and strengthen organizational portfolios. The virtual event tackles critical industry challenges, including shifting leadership expectations, complex relationship histories, decentralized operations and uneven data quality. Featuring real-world case studies from institutions like the University of Notre Dame, UNICEF USA, the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, Louisiana State University and the North Dakota State University Foundation, participants learn to implement custom health benchmarks, adapt rules for specialized roles and measure portfolio health effectively.
Forty years after helping define prospect development, Apra is focusing on how the profession can actively shape the future of philanthropy. As part of its strategic plan, Apra International is partnering with the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the Association of Donor Relations Professionals (ADRP) and the Association of Advancement Services Professionals (aasp). By uniting these distinct perspectives, the alliance aims to address cross-disciplinary challenges, including generative AI, changing CRM systems and agentic giving, ensuring prospect development professionals help lead the sector into its next era.