We have some new additions to the Apra Carolinas Board for 2020. As we prepare for another great year, please take a moment to get to know these fantastic volunteers and be sure to give them a warm welcome when you see them at an Apra Carolinas event!

MEMBERSHIP CHAIR

Daniel Moody, Advancement Research Analyst at High Point University

·       How many years have you worked in fundraising/prospect research?: I’ve worked in the Prospect Research field for an admittedly short but strong 8 months. I’m looking forward to the 1-year mark in June!

·       Briefly summarize your background: Preceding my current position at High Point University, I was an adjunct professor of Sociology. During this time, I was heavily involved in academic research and worked on various projects contributing my use of statistical and theoretical knowledge.

·       What inspired you to join the board?: The employee that previously held my very position, McKenzie Diehm, spoke highly of Apra Carolinas which facilitated my joining the group. After attending the Fall conference at WCU, I was very impressed with the individuals and knowledge involved and knew that I could contribute to the success of the organization and field of prospect research. Becoming a Board Member, and specifically Membership chair, would help to facilitate this.

·       What are you most proud of in your work?: Besides finding top prospects for our Advancement officers, I’m proud of always fulfilling and going beyond what’s asked of me even if it’s outside of my comfort zone and I need to learn new subject matter to successfully complete the task. I’m also a fan of the maxim “proud but never satisfied” and I believe that I reflect this in my daily work.

·       Do you have favorite research tool, site, or trick you can share?: Truthfully, I think the combination of various research tools is what makes me happiest as a prospect researcher, i.e. a main screening tool, obituary databases, reverse phone/address search, geographic wealth ZIP code areas, CEO salary calculators, etc. I’m a big fan of the ReferenceUSA tool for determining estimated business revenue (from InfoGroup) that our library subscribes to. Also – Steve Grimes’ Wealth Open Data Dashboard is an excellent free tool.

·       What is your bucket list vacation destination and why?: I would really like to visit Greece. I’m not sure that I could pinpoint a specific reason, but there’s a wealth of culture, scenery, and history that I’d love to someday experience.

NC REGIONAL REPRESENTATIVE

Emily Glesias, Prospect Research Management Supervisor at Novant Health

·       How many years have you worked in fundraising/prospect research?: This year will be four!

·       Briefly summarize your background: I have been with Novant Health Foundation for four years – first as the database management specialist and now as the prospect research supervisor. My love for fundraising and nonprofit work began in college when I interned with the New England Aquarium in Boston, MA working on development and grant-writing.

·       What inspired you to join the board?: As a member, I really enjoyed the educational opportunities that Apra Carolinas offered and wanted to not only network with other researchers but also learn from them and gather as much wisdom as I could when I first started out. Joining the board was an exciting next step for me because I wanted to grow within the chapter and have a seat at the table (quite literally!) when deciding what the future holds for us, as well as giving input on all of the fantastic resources and educational opportunities in store!

·       What are you most proud of in your work?: My team is very new and we’ve spent a majority of our time and energy creating brand new processes that are both thoughtful and efficient for prospect research management. I’m so proud of how far we’ve come in the last few years from a buy-in standpoint from all of our other foundation team members, as well as the work we’ve done in implementing prospect data analytics and data management policies for our donor database. I love being able to use our work every day to showcase how remarkable our foundation team’s efforts are and the impact of what they’re accomplishing in our facilities and communities.

·       Do you have favorite research tool, site, or trick you can share?: Since we have six market foundations our team supports, and most of them are in NC, I use the NC State GIS site library often. It’s a quick and easy spot to find all NC county property maps without having to click through a bunch of bookmarked pages! I also use the NC Voter Search site to confirm residency, too since NC voter information is available to the public unlike some other states.

·       What is your bucket list vacation destination and why?: Ooh, I can’t pick just one! I’ve always been a big fan of genealogy and mapping family trees (big surprise I enjoy prospect research)! Recently, I’ve wanted to plan a heritage trip to trace my lineage back to an ancestral home or region. I have a lot of family that’s from all over Europe and the UK but, I would first love to trace back my family from Ireland and travel there. The origins of my last name are also a big family mystery – we’ve always said it’s Spanish but there’s no evidence – so, finding where it comes from would be exciting too!

TREASURER

Emily Hinz, Prospect Development Analyst at UNC-Charlotte

·       How many years have you worked in fundraising/prospect research?: I joined the prospect research team at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in May, 2017.

·       Briefly summarize your background: Before coming to Charlotte, I worked as a Donor Stewardship Specialist for the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation in my hometown of Williamsburg, Virginia. A small portion of my time there was shared with prospect research, which peaked my interest in the field. I graduated from Christopher Newport University in 2016 with a BA in English, and got my start in non-profit work by interning with the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Virginia Peninsula’s development office.

·       What inspired you to join the board?: In 2018, I was the APRA Carolina’s Road Trip Scholarship winner and used the opportunity to visit The Citadel Foundation! I was inspired to join the Apra Carolinas board after connecting with several of the other members at the Apra Prospect Development 2019 conference in Phoenix, AZ. Everyone seemed so welcoming and encouraged me to explore the idea, and I am so glad that I did.

·       What are you most proud of in your work?: In my work, I'm most proud of the personal relationships I have cultivated with Development Officers. It helps me to feel that I make a significant contribution to the fundraising process at UNC Charlotte when a DO asks for my advice or thanks me for my research.

·       Do you have favorite research tool, site, or trick you can share?: My favorite research tool is definitely iWave. It is a one-stop shop for employment info & email, property value, and philanthropic/political giving. It helps me determine if I've found a good prospect "at a glance."

·       What is your bucket list vacation destination and why?: My bucket list vacation destination would be anywhere on the coast of the Mediterannean! Egypt, Israel, Turkey, and Greece are all countries that share the #1 spot on my travel list. I would love the gorgeous beaches and all the awesome history the area has as well!