Written By Jenny Alstad – Senior Director, Prospect Development & Strategy, College of Charleston

Over the past decade, Giving Days have established themselves as a key cornerstone to fundraising programs of all shapes, sizes, and sectors. Prior to transitioning to Prospect Development, I spent eight years in Annual Giving and am now a proud lifelong annual giving enthusiast. This past March, I experienced my 11th Giving Day. Along the way, I’ve seen just how impactful these campaigns can be. Here are a few ways Prospect Development teams can leverage Giving Days to support gift officers and drive year-round success.

Before the Big Day: Spotting Challenge Donors Early

Before your Giving Day even begins, Prospect Development teams can play a major role in helping officers identify prospects who may have an interest in setting up a Giving Day challenge – but aren’t yet on their radar. Look for indicators like board service, consistent annual giving history, strong history of unrestricted giving, participation in past Giving Days or broad-based annual campaigns, and of course, capacity to make a larger commitment. We’ve found particular success engaging prospects who have already voiced an interest in rallying others, have shown their support for leadership’s vision, and have championed unrestricted giving. Beyond the data, review contact reports for prospects who’ve expressed a desire to help grow your base. These are your potential challenge champions.

Game Day: Real-Time Supports That Drives Results

When the big day arrives, Prospect Development teams have the opportunity to shift into high gear, though our teams are often overlooked in the Giving Day execution plans. If your Giving Day platform integrates in real-time with your CRM, Prospect Development can be a huge asset to gift officers by helping them pull up-to-the-minute donor lists or track specific priority segments. If your platform doesn’t sync directly, there’s critical behind-the-scenes support to officers like monitoring the donor lists and alerting officers when their top prospects have made a gift. Additionally, keep a close eye out for surprise gifts from high-capacity or priority prospects. These may signal opportunities for a real-time stewardship text or video message from leadership or senior staff, helping deepen engagement while the moment is still fresh.

Post-Giving Day: Turning Insights into Action

Once the dust settles, Prospect Development can help translate Giving Day activity into long-term opportunity. Start by looking for shifts in donor behavior. Did someone give to a new fund, area, or initiative? That might signal a developing passion or interest for officers to explore. It’s also a great time to surface previously unassigned or lower-engaged donors who gave unexpectedly or increased their giving. If you have access to run a wealth screening, you can quickly cross reference these triggers to further prioritize. Use this momentum to flag potential new assignments and update portfolios quickly.

The Lasting Impact: Giving Day as a Prospect Development Launchpad

Giving Days are much more than a 24-hour sprint. They’re a high-visibility touchpoint that can unlock valuable insights and engagement for months to come. With thoughtful planning and real-time support, our teams can turn Giving Days into catalysts for deeper relationships, stronger portfolios, and smarter strategies. Whether it’s identifying challenge donors, enabling day-of stewardship, or uncovering new prospects, our teams play an essential role in making the most of the momentum. Let’s keep building on it.

Written By Lucy Pastier – Director of Prospect Management & Research with the National Trust for Historic Preservation and Treasurer of Apra Pennsylvania

Being able to effectively search the web is an essential skill for individuals in Prospect Development. Investigating a prospect often starts and ends with what information we can find about them online. However, search engine functionality, results display, and search results have all changed massively in the 30+ years since I first started using search engines.¹ Periodically revisiting our use of web search engines and reassessing search techniques are things any professional researcher should strive for. Here are some tips on how you can search smarter – and not just within Google’s ecosystem.

Banish AI Summaries

In 2024, Google rolled out AI summaries at the top of most google results. The results have not been stellar. As someone who uses Google’s search engine dozens of times a day for work and personal use, I was desperate for a way to opt out of summaries at the top of the search results. After a few months, I learned about the magic of “udm=14”. Adding that string of text brings you to Google’s “web filter,” showing you results only from websites – no AI generated summaries, no map results, no shopping links. There are a few ways you can use this method without adding the string into your search.  You can bookmark https://www.google.com/search?q=%s&udm=14 to use as your default search page or use one of the many extensions and plug-in for your preferred browser.

Advanced Search Operators

When Ask Jeeves first launched, their hook was being able to ask a question in natural language to Jeeves, your faithful digital butler, who would do his best to bring you websites that answered your query. At a time when optimum Google search results required Boolean logic and carefully selected terms, this was petty revolutionary.  Now, Jeeves has long since retired and most search engines have embraced the natural language searches.  While this approach is more user friendly, it often leads to broad results that may not answer your question. Search operators are still an incredibly powerful tool for getting more targeted results – and they’re often underutilized!

If you’ve ever used the “Advanced Search” option in Google, you probably know the basics of search operations (such as quotation marks to get the exact phrase you’re looking for, plus or minus symbols to include or omit words from your search results) but do you know how to limit your search results to a specific website, in order to see mentions of your donor only on their alma mater’s website?  Or how to limit your results to PDFs only, which can be extremely helpful in finding event programs and annual reports? Or how to limit your searches to instances before or after a specific date? Dan Russel, a research scientist and the former Principal UX Researcher at Google, has put together the ultimate guide for Advanced Search Operators at bit.ly/AllTheOperators.²

Search Tweaks

If you want a masterclass in internet searching, you need to follow Tara Calishain’s work. Tara is an app builder, has been writing about internet search engines for almost 30 years, and is a North Carolinian to boot.  Her site Search Tweaks offers a wide array of tools that can assist you with news searches, time-bound searches, and even searching for a name with multiple variations across a variety of sources. See her local news search in action here.

The Internet Archive and Wayback Machine

Using archived versions of websites can be a real treasure trove of information on otherwise hard to research prospects. How many times have you tried to research someone, only to find the board service listed in their corporate bio does not correspond with the nonprofit’s current board listing? Or tried to research someone who held a leadership position at a company but retired a few years ago? Or found what appeared to be a great biography of a prospect in the search preview, only to find the page has been 404’d? I’ve used the Wayback Machine to check older versions of sites of interest – board of trustee listings, leadership listings on corporate websites, etc. – to find information that has been removed from websites more times than I can count. It often gives me access to information that is otherwise unavailable and has given me a better idea of timelines for board transitions.

Beyond the Wayback Machine, the Internet Archive also has an impressive array of genealogy reference tools; tens of thousands of yearbooks from US High schools, colleges and universities; and over 4 million items in library collections, which give you access to a mind-boggling amount of newspapers. Even just using their search function to research a person allows you to search for mentions on them in TV news captions, radio transcripts, and text across their vast collections.³

Try Other Search Engines

Which brings me to my point: Google is not the only game in town. It’s worth checking other search engines, not only to get out of your own Google algorithm bubble, but to protect your browsing data and online privacy as well. If you’re stuck on where to start, PC magazine had a good review of 15 search engines which compared results, privacy options, and security of the services. However, echoing my warning from before, please stay away from the AI-driven options.⁴

1-Let’s have a moment of silence for AOL keywords.

2-He also runs a fascinating blog about searches and published the book “Joy of Search: A Google Insider’s Guide to Going Beyond the Basics.” 

3-PS, the Internet Archive is doing important work which is being threatened by legal battles. Consider supporting them to help maintain this resource!

4-Hat tip to Andy McMahon, who is always thinking about AI and large language models in a very thoughtful way.

Written by: Rachael Walker

In honor of Research Pride Month, I want to share my professional journey, from a new kid to what I still have trouble seeing myself as: an industry veteran. My story is one of generosity from others that has inspired me to be generous in turn.

If you’ve ever encountered me in a professional context, you’ve probably heard me say that my favorite thing about this industry and the people in it is how willing people are to share their time and knowledge with others in the field. I’ve said it in one-on-one conversations, in small networking sessions, and in the Apra Talks panel on the PD main stage last year: we are an incredibly generous group of people by our very nature.

This generosity has had a huge impact on me in the fifteen years I have been in prospect development. Because of the impact the volunteerism of others has had on me, I always leap at any opportunity to pay it forward. It feels wonderful to share my time and knowledge because so many people shared their knowledge with me. If I can give someone foundational knowledge to build upon, if I can contribute in any way to advancing our field, that’s worth every bit of time and effort I invest.

For me, volunteering means more than just serving on boards or committees. It’s about giving of my time wherever it’s needed. Whether it’s a Zoom call for someone to pick my brain on a topic or presenting at a big conference, I am here for it!

A Walk Down Memory Lane

Fifteen years ago, PRSPCT-L, then still a listserv, was a vital resource for a newbie prospect researcher just starting out in the field. I devoured every email digest, absorbing every crumb of information shared by people who took the time out of their days to answer questions sent in to the listserv. With time, I felt comfortable asking some of my own questions - and with even more time, answering some, too!

A few years into my time in prospect development, I was recruited to serve on the Apra Carolinas Education Committee by then-chair Katie Fulcher. My first exposure to volunteering in a professional capacity was so inspiring - working to develop content to educate the others in our chapter was my first taste of how it felt to pay forward everything I had learned from others willing to share their knowledge.

A Volunteer Develops

As a result of a post I shared on PRSPCT-L about the parent screening validation process developed at my first research job at Wake Forest University, I was asked by Apra Greater New York to contribute an article summarizing the process for their newsletter. This was the first time I truly felt as if I had a level of expertise to share, and I leapt at the opportunity. Again, how could I turn up the chance to pay it forward?

I presented for the first time in 2015 as part of the UNC Advancement Symposium, as I then worked at the UNC System Office, on a needs assessment process I had performed at Wake Forest as part of my capstone project for my MLIS degree. The following year, I turned my validating wealth screening article into a presentation for Apra Chapters Share the Knowledge - my first time presenting a webinar! This ultimately became a half-day pre-conference workshop for Apra’s PD conference in 2017 and 2018. I didn’t submit it as a workshop, but the content was apparently of enough interest that the committee wanted it expanded. How was I developing into an industry veteran whose knowledge was respected? I sure didn’t know (and still don’t, to be honest).

At the same time, I moved up from the Education Committee to the NC Regional Representative for Apra Carolinas, then began a four-year tenure as Education Chair. I also began serving on Apra International committees, simultaneously as a member of the Curriculum Planning Committee for PD, and on the Advocacy Committee. And all along, I was making myself available for anyone who ever had any questions about things I knew about - and reaching out to others who had information I needed.

The Now

Somehow, I have made my way to serve as President of Apra Carolinas, where I am incredibly proud to head up an extraordinary board that works hard to provide benefits and professional development for our members. I served on the Apra Nominating Committee last year. For years, I’ve been a member of the committee for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapters group, a collaboration between the Apra chapters representing Pennsylvania, Maryland, Metro DC, Virginia, and the Carolinas that works together to provide excellent professional development content at an accessible cost to members of our chapters.

I may not be Education Chair anymore, but I haven’t stopped working to provide professional development to peers, either. I was a member of the Apra Fundamentals faculty this year, and will be on a panel for Apra Plug In to Small Shops this summer. I was a panelist for “We Are All Data Scientists” at Apra Talks at PD last year, a main stage event in front of all live and virtual attendees. I have several presentations in rotation that I am still asked to present as webinars for chapters. All of these opportunities allow me to share my hard-won knowledge and give advice - sometimes unasked for, as anyone who's been to a networking session with me can attest.

It feels sometimes like I blinked and became one of the admired industry veterans whose names I learned in those very early days of PRSPCT-L. People know my name. They reach out to me without ever having met me to ask my advice or input on things that they’re working on. They attend my webinars and thank me for what I share. All it ever took was putting up my hand, saying “yes,” and leaning into the desire to give back what this field has given me.

Volunteering in any capacity, sharing knowledge, and making professional development accessible are all ways I contribute to our community - and they’re ways anyone can contribute, whether you’re comfortable in front of a crowd or would rather answer questions on PRSPCT-L. I encourage everyone to get involved, share their expertise, and help build a supportive and thriving professional environment. You will get back everything you put in, and then some. I’m living proof.

Steps to Advance Your Prospect Research Career

Written by: Chris Copsey

“Hey, you- yes, You! C’mon over here and let’s talk shop for a little bit away from the crowds. I heard that you are looking for ways to advance your career in the Prospect Research area. Well, the good news for you is that is something that I would love to help you out with.”

If you are anything like me - and you must be since you are reading this! - you have probably been working in the Prospect Research and philanthropic field long enough to wonder if that above conversation would ever happen to you. Well, consider this article a version of that conversation. You see, although I have only been in the field of prospect research for 8 years, I have gone from performing basic, individual prospect research, to healthcare philanthropy data analytics, to now leading a whole Prospect Development team for a major healthcare philanthropy organization. And the good news is that with some experience, nerve, and a lot of confidence, you too can give yourself the background and experience necessary for advancing in your career.

Hi, my name is Chris Copsey, and I am the Assistant Vice President of Prospect Development for the UNC Health Foundation, based out of UNC Chapel Hill. I have spent my entire fundraising career at UNC and have loved every minute of it. Aside from my professional work, I am also the incoming President-elect of Apra Carolinas. 

Here are some things to consider when you are ready to advance in your career in this field. And no, these won’t be any of those that you heard in the 1990s, like “Dress for the job you want, not the job you have”, or always laughing at your boss’s unfunny jokes.

1. Make sure your fundamentals are sharp: whatever your current role is, you want to make sure that you are already performing at a high level. How can you expect to move up to a new position if there are weaknesses in your current position? Take stock of what you do, and especially those times where you either took on tasks outside of your job’s scope, or successes where you went above and beyond. If you take stock and find yourself deficient in any area, consider the resources that Apra has, reach out to your network, or even utilize LinkedIn learning- I myself used a LinkedIn learning class to learn the basics of Tableau and then reached out to a thought leader for more advice- how is this Dashboard? What can I do to make it better? You’d be surprised how happy people in our field are to help each other!
   
   
2. Working horizontally is equally important as working vertically: while we all want to impress those in positions above us, it is equally important to ingratiate yourself with those at your current level. Make yourself indispensable to those you encounter on an everyday basis for run-of-the-mill projects.  If you are worried about being too good at this and potentially depriving your office of your current skills, I would counter and say that taking on a new role is about expanding your talents, not depriving anyone of them, so this should not stop you from advancing.
   
   
3. Become familiar with all the jobs in your office: you might excel at research but having knowledge of what a Development Officer does will make you better at providing them with help. If you don’t, ask to shadow them at a donor meeting. 
   
   
4. Know who to lobby: we all equate lobbying with the political and corporate world, but lobbying for yourself is essentially advocating for yourself. But you wouldn’t just advocate to anyone - you should know who to advocate to. Knowing who in your office has sway or soft-power can be crucial as you make plans to step up in your office. Is an office shakeup happening? Ok, great - lean into it, and figure out who is going to be calling the shots at a future date, even if they are not right now. Org charts and budget allocations are gold when trying to figure this out, so ask around to see if this kind of information is handy.
   
   
5. Raise your hand: most importantly, and it is probably the thing that can get you where you want the most, is to raise your hand; for all you know, no one else has raised theirs! 

These are only a few things that could help you advance your career in prospect research. Of course, getting involved in a professional development space like Apra Carolinas doesn’t hurt either!

Meet the Board

We are ushering in the New Year with an opportunity for you to get to know the Apra Carolinas Board. This year, we are welcoming new and returning members, all of whom are dedicated to providing professional development and networking opportunities to our members in the Carolinas (and beyond)!

Engaging our community, providing resources, the thrill of detective work and working with a team to support impactful work and missions are a few shared sentiments among our board members about their interest in leading the chapter and continuing their prospect development careers - which of these resonates with you?

Rachael Walker

Donor Strategy Manager, St. Luke's Health System

President

How many years have you worked in fundraising/prospect development?

14

What inspired you to join the Apra Carolinas board?

I was asked by a previous education chair to join the then-extant education committee! I had a grand old time, then moved up to NC Regional Rep. My natural bossiness (sorry, I meant “organizational skills”) was well-suited to being Education Chair and now I’ll get to really flex those muscles as President.

What do you like most about working in prospect development?

The community. Absolutely my favorite thing about this field is the willingness my fellow professionals have to share what they’ve learned with each other. I try to pay it forward all the time – which is why Education Chair was such a great place for me for so long!

What's your favorite snack? 

It’s unfair to make me choose just one. I’ll go with what I always pick up on road trips - Cool Ranch Doritos!

Chris Copsey

Assistant Vice President of Prospect Development, UNC Health Foundation

President-Elect 

How many years have you worked in fundraising/prospect development?

8.

What inspired you to join the Apra Carolinas board?

A desire to be locally involved with our industry's professional group.

What do you like most about working in prospect development?

The detective work of finding new potential donors!

What's your favorite snack? 

Popcorn!

Megan Crenshaw

Research & Database Manager, Cone Health Philanthropic Foundation

Treasurer

How many years have you worked in fundraising/prospect development?

I have worked in prospect development for 5 of the 13 years that I have been in fundraising.

What inspired you to join the Apra Carolinas board?

After joining the Research team at Elon in 2019, I was continually amazed by, and grateful for, all that Apra Carolinas offered me. The professionals I met are not only incredibly knowledgeable and skilled, they are also genuinely warm, engaging, and encouraging. It felt very fulfilling to give back to an organization that provides so much to those of us who work in this niche field. When I received the invitation to join, it was a no brainer for me. My hope is to inspire others to plug in as much as I did so that you can meet an incredible group of individuals and acquire invaluable insight into the field!

What do you like most about working in prospect development?

My favorite part of prospect development is the “detective” skills it takes to do my job well. I love those moments when a prospect has been a bit elusive to research, but I suddenly search for the right term or pull on the right string that reveals valuable information I had been searching for. Several people in my hallway can attest to the times they’ve heard an excited “Aha! Found you!” coming from my office.

What's your favorite snack? 

Hands down, I could eat apples and peanut butter any day of the week!

Vicki O'Brien

Prospect and Database Manager, Purpose Built Communities

Secretary

How many years have you worked in fundraising/prospect development?

Over ten years

What inspired you to join the Apra Carolinas board?

Being involved in the leadership of a community of prospect development professionals.

What do you like most about working in prospect development?

The thrill I still get when I uncover a hidden prospect with staggering potential to support my organization's mission, followed by strategy discussions to make an introduction and invite them to support our impactful work.

What's your favorite snack? 

Movie Candy!

Rachael Daniels

Prospect Management Analyst, Clemson University

Education Chair

How many years have you worked in fundraising/prospect development?

I have worked in fundraising for about 12 years, the last 5 of those in prospect development.

What inspired you to join the Apra Carolinas board?

I wanted to be more involved with the prospect development community and get to know more people in the field. I also owe a lot of my success in my first prospect development role to what I learned through Apra Carolinas. I hope to help others do the same in my role on the board.

What do you like most about working in prospect development?

The best thing about working in prospect development is being able to help team members be successful. Finding that major donor hidden in the database or even just a tiny piece of information about a prospect that can move the relationship one step closer, whatever it is that can help a fundraiser get past a roadblock or get one step closer to meeting their goals.

What's your favorite snack? 

Cheese!

Jennifer Kehoe

Director of Prospect Research, Clemson University

Membership Chair

How many years have you worked in fundraising/prospect development?

23 years. First 4 years of my career were as a CFR Development Officer before moving into the Prospect Development side of things. I’ve always known my calling to be in the PD realm rather than as a front-line Gift Officer. 

What inspired you to join the Apra Carolinas board?

The desire to be more involved with my fellow Prospect Development folk (in all of our different organizations) and to feel like I’m giving back. The Board is the perfect place to work with great people and meet other great people in our industry. 

What do you like most about working in prospect development?

I enjoy the challenge of the work and the everyday “puzzles” we face. I have always found a great deal of satisfaction working in philanthropy and the idea that we can work for a greater good. I’ve also been blessed to meet and work with some truly talented colleagues.

What's your favorite snack? 

Wow, I feel like this changes, but right now…Dot’s Pretzels (Original and Honey Mustard flavor).

Jenny Bunn

Prospect Research Manager, UNC Asheville

Communications Chair

How many years have you worked in fundraising/prospect development?

I have worked in Prospect Development for two years, but have worked in non-profit fundraising in various capacities for decades.

What inspired you to join the Apra Carolinas board?

Apra Carolinas has been an excellent professional resource for me. I have been so impressed with how welcoming and helpful everyone has been to a newcomer like me, and I am eager to give back to this organization that has already given so much to me.

What do you like most about working in prospect development?

It’s such a great job. I love the research. I love the strategy meetings. I love the camaraderie with gift officers and other members of our advancement team - it’s really wonderful to be part of a team that is so collaborative.

What's your favorite snack? 

Salty chips with really fresh guacamole

Merissa Lawson

Prospect Development Manager, National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA)

NC Representative

How many years have you worked in fundraising/prospect development?

I’m coming up on 21 years in prospect development.

What inspired you to join the Apra Carolinas board?

I first joined the board in 2015, after attending chapter events for several years; I really just wanted to help. After a stretch of board membership that included multiple roles (including President), I took a short break, but am rejoining now to jump back into the fray. I enjoy giving back to the community and can’t seem to stay away.

What do you like most about working in prospect development?

I love all of the different aspects of the work. The combination of critical thinking, investigative work, communication skills, strategy – and the satisfaction of knowing my work is the foundation for future gifts. What’s not to love?

What's your favorite snack? 

Popcorn, always and forever!

Jenny Alstad

Senior Director, Prospect Development & Strategy, College of Charleston

SC Regional Representative

How many years have you worked in fundraising/prospect development?

I’ve worked in fundraising for 17 years and have been in prospect development for the past three years.

What inspired you to join the Apra Carolinas board?

Since joining Apra and Apra Carolinas in 2022, I’ve been so impressed by the community. After three years of attending conferences and webinars I’m ready to get involved and start making an impact! In 2024 I was awarded the Apra Carolinas Professional Development Scholarship and used the funds to attend Apra PD in Seattle. The opportunity to attend this conference allowed me the opportunity to meet and connect with my peers - such an invaluable resource! On the Apra Carolina board I hope to help facilitate connections amongst our members in the Carolinas.

What do you like most about working in prospect development?

For me, prospect development is the perfect combination of data, relationship management, and strategy. I love having days where I’m head down digging into data projects that are then balanced with days where I’m collaborating with our fundraisers on strategies and next steps.

What's your favorite snack? 

Anything chocolate!

Apra Carolinas 2024 Fall Conference in Review

Written By: Jenny Bunn

This October, prospect research, development, and nonprofit professionals from across the Carolinas met at Clemson University for a one day conference. Held at the Madren Center on Clemson’s campus, the conference was chock-full of compelling speakers balanced with time for fellowship and networking. 

I appreciate that the Apra Carolinas conference features sessions led by both nationally known speakers and local colleagues. It is a way to hear both big picture ideas and creative, practical applications on an institutional level. After a warm welcome from Brian O’Rourke, VP of Advancement at Clemson, the conference kicked off with a session from Jim Langley. In his session - It’s About Meaningful Interactions, not Moves Management - Jim spoke about maintaining consistent elements in a donor’s biography or record so that a relationship could be managed by anyone. It was an a-ha moment for me - my VC has encouraged our team to know the answers to a list of 10 questions for our donors - but we don’t actually record those answers into a shared action, note, or bio. So what if we did? How might that impact the way we are able to interact with our donors over a length of time, even if individual staff members don’t remain with our institution? I was furiously scribbling notes - arrows pointing to new thoughts, words with boxes drawn around them - whatever I could do to attempt to solidify my thoughts so that I could effectively communicate them later to my team.

Chris Copsey’s session made it seem easy - or at least attainable! - to create a custom AI chatbot. Katalina Williams and Kayla Ly discussed remote onboarding strategies, which I need to revisit as I work on updating some elements of our training guide. During Cecelia Poplin and Marianne Pelletier’s sessions, both of which focused on the potential benefits of AI in prospect research, my takeaways included using AI to automate alerts and to summarize family relationships from obituaries, marriage announcements and company bios. 

I very much enjoyed the built-in networking activities. Not only was I able to meet new people in our shared field, I was able to learn about the work of other non-profit organizations in the region, including one dedicated to conservation in the area where I grew up. Over breakfast and lunch, I learned who was an EMT, who was a Weird Al fan (surprisingly - or not! - there were more than a few of us), and who was baking with apples for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Since I mainly see my Apra colleagues over Zoom, it was really quite wonderful to be together in-person and to be surrounded by people who are working hard to make the world a better place.

And speaking of making the world a better place, it was announced that a portion of the conference fees would be donated to non-profit organizations in the Carolinas working to mitigate the destruction in our region of Hurricane Helene. As we face a long recovery from this devastating storm, the board and membership of Apra Carolinas stepped forward with thoughtfulness and constructiveness to be a part of the solution. 

Thank you to Apra Carolinas for a fabulous Fall Conference - already ready for the next one!

2024 Professional Development Scholarship: Apra PD Experience

Written By: Rob Lyles

Rob Lyles, Prospect Research Analyst at Clemson University, was awarded the 2024 Professional Development Scholarship from Apra Carolinas. He chose to use the award to attend Apra PD in Seattle, Washington. Below is a recap from Rob regarding his experience.

This was my third year attending Apra PD, and it was absolutely the best, for me, so far. In 2022, I attended Apra PD in Atlanta just a few weeks after starting my current position—a fresh hire not just at Clemson, but in the field of higher ed and philanthropy as a whole. I was a middle school English teacher for ten years previously, so while getting to travel to Apra PD was very new and pretty exciting, I was drinking from the proverbial firehose for much of that first conference. I felt a bit better last summer in Indianapolis, but when I got to Seattle this year: wow! I actually knew what presenters were talking about, I knew what questions I wanted to ask, and I met tons of researchers from across the country and the planet—and all in one of the coolest cities I’ve been able to visit.

Our team chose to divide and conquer when it came to conference  sessions; I went with mostly soft skills/psychology-centric options, including Inclusive Philanthropy, Giving Behavior, and Introverted Leadership—where I found out I’m not actually an introvert at all, but an ambivert (and where I immediately found out what an ambivert is!). Probably my favorite session was the pre-conference discussion on AI tools, specifically BoodleBox: we’ve all been hearing a lot about AI for what seems like a long time now (and it was certainly a theme at Apra PD overall), but here I got to see maybe the coolest actual development-focused use case for it I’ve encountered, which was great to be able to take back to Clemson with me.

If I’m being honest, what was different about this conference wasn’t the conference, it was the people. I met researchers and development professionals from universities, hospitals, museums, the Make A Wish Foundation—hearing their perspectives and experiences is always my favorite part of Apra PD, but this time I felt like I had enough experience of my own to really appreciate what’s happening elsewhere in the world of prospect research. So maybe what was different this year was me! And also the food—wow, the food was good. I didn’t think I even liked calamari but hey, realistically I ate two pounds of it.

Since it was my first-ever conference, I may be a bit biased, but Apra PD was my immediate pick for this year because it is hands-down my favorite. That week has consistently been such a rich source of networking, true professional development, and—honestly—inspiration: I was constantly reminded of how fortunate I am to be working in this field, with these people, helping to enact real positive change in the world. I got some great quality time in with my team members there and our leadership (over amazing meals, obviously), and I came back feeling ready to get it all done.

I would wholeheartedly recommend that you go to Apra PD in Baltimore next August, absolutely—and I am thoroughly grateful to Apra Carolinas for the opportunity to be there in Seattle this year. :) Thanks!

“We are experts at becoming experts”:
My Experience at Apra PD

Written By: Jenny Alstad
Senior Director, Prospect Development & Strategy
College of Charleston

My goal in applying for the Apra Carolinas Professional Development Scholarship was to attend the Apra PD Conference in Seattle, WA. So, when I received the news that I was awarded the 2024 scholarship, it was an easy decision on how to use the funds. From making new friends at the airport (shoutout to my Richmond buddies!) to participating in thought-provoking and cathartic sessions, my experience at Apra PD was exceptional.

As I review my pages of scribbled notes from the conference, one quote keeps resonating with me and it comes from our own backyard. On the second day, our Apra Carolinas Chapter President, Rachael Walker, shared during a panel discussion, “We are experts at becoming experts.” That statement struck a chord with me.

While I’ve worked in development for over 15 years, I am relatively new to the world of Prospect Development. Self-doubt can be a tricky hurdle to overcome. Questions like, “Is my program where it should be?” “Are we working with the right vendors?” and “Am I in over my head?” creep into my mind. What Rachael and others at Apra PD helped me realize is that no one can be an expert in everything, but we as Prospect Development professionals have the unique tools in our mental toolkit to figure it out!

I left the conference excited about what to implement first. After attending a session hosted by Jack Pitfield from the University of Chicago on basic coding skills, I spent some time over the weekend setting up an Excel Macro to simplify a pipeline report I pull twice per week. I estimate that this Macro saves me about 10 minutes each time I generate the report. Over the course of a year, that’s at least 17 hours of mind-numbing data work saved!

Next on my list is formalizing our definition of a “meaningful contact” and creating templates for officers’ contact reports (shoutout to Prisca Zaccaria and Katalina Williams up the road at USC). After that, I plan to tackle a more robust training program modeled after Lauren Woodring’s approach at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

I’m incredibly grateful to Apra Carolinas for granting me the opportunity to attend this conference. Thank you!

Apra Carolinas 2024 Membership Survey Results & Key Takeaways
Written By: Jennifer Kehoe, Membership Chair

A warm and big THANK YOU to all the participants in this year’s membership survey! Your input is invaluable to our organization, providing crucial insights that help shape our future initiatives and programming. Your responses offer a window into the diverse needs and interests of our membership, allowing us to tailor our offerings and ensure we're delivering the most relevant and beneficial resources to support your professional growth.

Your feedback on potential topics for educational opportunities, conference attendance, and areas of interest helps us create more targeted and impactful events. We're especially grateful for those who expressed interest in volunteering, as your willingness to contribute your expertise strengthens our community. Your candid thoughts and suggestions are the driving force behind our continuous improvement, enabling us to better serve you and advance the field of prospect development.

Nearly half of you would like to see more in-person networking. A little over 33% of you had a positive response when asked if you would be attending our Fall Conference, with almost 50% unsure.  Be sure to SAVE THE DATE FOR THE FALL CONFERENCE: October 24^th and 25^th at Clemson University in Clemson, SC. Please join us!

Our participants have quite a range of experience, which is fantastic for our membership:

Unsurprisingly, job titles are as varied as we would expect, including:

• Assistant Vice-President, Advancement Operations & Annual Campaigns
• Data Analyst
• Deputy Director of Philanthropy
• Director of Advancement Services
• Director of Prospect Development
• Director of Prospect Management
• Director of Prospect Research
• Executive Director, Prospect Development
• Gift Processing and Prospect Manager
• Philanthropy Manager
• Prospect Research Analyst
• Senior Director, Prospect Research
• Senior Research Analyst

It may surprise you to learn that the majority of the respondents now work remotely. Amazing to see how the workplace has changed since 2020!

You’ll be as happy to hear, as we were, that our participants come from many different sectors:

• Higher Education: 58.3%
• Healthcare: 11.1%
• Social and Human Services: 8.3%
• Environmental/Wildlife/Zoos: 8.3%
• Vendor: 5.6%

We made sure to ask you what your top training needs are so that we can plan future events that will be of interest to you. Here are some of the topic areas you highlighted:

• Prospect Identification
• Pipeline Development
• Data Analytics/Data Mining
• Predictive Modeling Scores
• Portfolio Management
• Reporting/Dashboards

You told us what you felt were the best qualities of Apra Carolinas – welcoming, engaging, innovative, supportive and more:

We were very delighted to see that some of you want to volunteer with Apra Carolinas to serve on our Committees or to speak at an event or a webinar. Please know that we will be reaching out to you soon if you're interested!

Finally, you told us what services you would like to see us offer and the following stood out:

• Mentoring
• More in-person networking opportunities
• More virtual education opportunities/webinars
• Library resource for articles/trends

The Apra Carolinas board would like to thank each and every one of you for participating in this year’s survey. We are a better organization because of your feedback. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at any time!

Finally, a hearty CONGRATULATIONS to our two $50 Amazon Gift Card winners Tohry Petty and Rachel Wilfahrt!

We look forward to seeing you at our virtual events and at our in-person events over the next couple of months: Apra PD Mid-Atlantic Happy Hour on August 21st in Seattle and, our Fall Conference on October 24^th and 25^th.

Accelerating Prospect Development: Crafting a Custom AI Chatbot
Written by: Chris Copsey

Are you tired of hearing about AI this and Machine Learning that, and want to get your hands dirty with a possible solution that can help your fundraising shop AND move your office to the cutting edge of the AI bandwagon? Then look no further than the world of Large Language Models, or LLMs.

Surely, most of us have either used ChatGPT or heard enough about it from your one friend who goes on and on about Crypto currency to be skeptical. In short, Large Language Models take large swaths of data and can act at your own personal help desk for any questions you might have. It has a range of uses in the world, but especially for Prospect Research and fundraising.

Are Development Officers complaining about a lengthy research document? Have an LLM summarize it in a few paragraphs! Having trouble writing an annual letter appeal? Have an LLM write a letter in the “voice” of your Dean! Does the thought of receiving the same Prospect Management question over and over again make you break out into hives? Create an LLM Chatbot that can help answer these questions instead.

This last example will be the focus of this article. I will be giving you some instructions on how to make your own AI Chatbot that can help ease the burden of email fatigue and be a great line on a resume, which you will be needing since, you know, AI is going to be taking all of our jobs, right? (Just kidding).

Background

The first thing to know is that this year, Microsoft launched their Copilot software, which is essentially a chatbot integration that currently lives in Microsoft browsers. You might be familiar with this logo:

Earlier this year, they launched the ability for users to build their own “Copilots”, as they call them, which are just bespoke AI Chatbots.

To get started, cruise on over to www.copilotstudio.microsoft.com.

**Note: This is NOT an endorsement or paid plug for Microsoft. It is merely the software that I chose to use. Be vigilant about any software that you use. If you have an IT department, contact them about any software that is secure for your information.

Instructions

Once on the site, you are given the option to either buy a license or have a free trial. I recommend starting the 60-day trial, which can still offer you some usage in that time. If your work or institution has a subscription to Microsoft 365, you might be able to just log in with your username and password. My institution, UNC Chapel Hill, has a contract with Microsoft for an enterprise version of Copilot, which allows internal usage of data that is not recorded on the back end by Copilot (as opposed to ChatGPT which does save your data). Again, check with your institution to see if you have a similar setup.

Once inside the Copilot site, click “New copilot”. Next, a box will appear asking to name your Copilot and to enter a website that will serve as a reference for the Copilot. Since I am working with a Microsoft 365 subscription, I was actually able to paste a link to my Development Office’s Devnet, where many of our Prospect Management policies are kept. Once you have linked up to a site, hit create at the bottom, and you’re ready to start Copiloting!

Once you have created your Copilot, you will be able to begin feeding it documents to give it a “brain”. On the left-hand side, there is a list of options, including a “Settings” dropdown. Click that, and then navigate down to “Generative AI”. Here, under the “Upload a document” area, you will be able to upload PDF documents that the Copilot will be able to reference.

In my instance, since I wanted to create a Prospect Management chatbot, I uploaded 20 documents relating to Prospect Management.

Once you have uploaded the documents, and are ready to start testing your Copilot, utilize the internal chatbot box that is to the left of where you uploaded the documents. Ask it questions! This is the great part of Generative AI and Chatbots- quizzing it and seeing if the answers line up with your internal policies.

If you are happy with the responses that your new chatbot buddy has given you, it is time to publish. Again, navigate to the left side and select “Publish”. There will be a button in the middle of the screen to press and then publish.

Finally, as the icing on the chatbot cake, you want people to be able to access and use your chatbot, right? Under the Publish button you will notice an area saying “Optimize your copilot”:

Click the “Configure channels” button to take you to a list of places you can push your chatbot into:

Now, since this is a trial account, you will not be able to publish to all of them. But the first option, as a Copilot, will give your chatbot its own tiny website and link that you will be able to share with others. Myself, I used the second option, which was to push it out to Microsoft Teams, which allows myself and others to chat with it like we would any other person on Teams.

After the initial build, you can easily add more documents to the chatbot that you have created. There is a maximum number to add, but I have added some PDFs that are over 50 pages long. Almost all of these documents were either how-to’s, FAQs, or policy documents that were spread out over an entire website. Collecting them all and loading them into the chatbot has allowed me to synthesize them all and access their collective information all at once, rather than going through dozens of individual documents.

Internal reaction, after the initial “Wow, what is this?” has been stellar. There were a few attempts to “break” the bot by asking it confusing questions, but it held up very well! Most of the rollout and testing among staff has been around calibration and making sure that the answers are actually correct and not hallucinations! Formal launch of the product writ-large is expected at the beginning of the new fiscal year.

Again, this is just one of the interesting things that AI can be used to do as it related to Prospect Development. Once you create your chatbot, poke around the Copilot site and try to improve it! Happy Building!

Chris Copsey is the UNC Health Foundation’s Assistant Vice President of Prospect Development. Since 2019, Chris has provided the Health Foundation with data and analytical support, mainly supporting grateful patient identification, cultivation, and solicitation activities. He assists with the strategic coordination of critical data and information sharing between the donor and alumni database, EPIC, and other resources as necessary, and serves as a liaison between the Health Foundation and University of North Carolina Development office as it relates to data management and information sharing. He is also very active in Apra, serving currently as a board member of Apra Carolinas and previously helping to organize their one-day conference for philanthropic data professionals called Data Science Now.

Chris graduated from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, in 2008 with a dual degree in Political Science and History. He enjoys reading books on American History, playing golf (poorly), and plotting out the best ways to grow vegetables in his yard- a work in progress! Chris lives in Snow Camp, North Carolina, with his wife Trinh, and son, Theodore.