As members of Apra, we know how important it is to share our knowledge, support each other, and build our resources and networks across the fundraising community. In 2022, Apra Pennsylvania, Apra Maryland, Apra Metro DC, Apra Virginia, and Apra Carolinas are taking it one step further - hosting 5 days of sessions from experts throughout the region to share talent with each other. Join us for 5 days of learning, hosted by your Apra Mid-Atlantic Chapters. More information coming soon.
Registration is limited to members of the five Mid-Atlantic chapters. Check with your chapter for your free registration code!
For more info or to register, please visit: https://apramd.wildapricot.org/event-4671985
Schedule:
Monday, May 23: 1PM-2PM - "Database Conversions" hosted by Apra Virginia
Tuesday, May 24: 11AM - 12PM - "Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride: A Case Study in Streamlining Prospect Development Requests" hosted by Apra Pennsylvania
Wednesday May 25: Session TBD hosted by Apra Maryland
Thursday, May 26: 1PM-2PM - "DIY Prospect Scores" hosted by Apra Carolinas
Friday, May 27: 1PM - 2PM - "Willkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome, C’mon In: Onboarding for Success and Retention" hosted by Apra Metro DC
Session Descriptions:
Monday: "Database Conversions - Panel Discussion" - Tips, tricks, and lessons learned throughout the database conversion process.
Panelists:
- Amanda Cannoy is the Associate Director of Prospect Research at Virginia Tech. She has 15 years of experience in the advancement research field and currently serves as President-Elect for the Virginia Chapter of Apra. Amanda holds a B.S. in Business with a concentration in Accounting from Bluefield University. She lives in Wytheville, Virginia with her husband, son, and five dogs.
- Arcadia Rodriguez-Ruiz is Assistant Director of Prospect Management at the University of Virginia, where they are currently undergoing a conversion from Ellucian Advance to Salesforce UC Innovation. She has over 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, and she is the current President of Apra-Virginia. She earned her B.I.S. in Sociology and Public Policy from the University of Virginia. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia with her husband and 19 year old cat, Godzilla.
- Kristin Richardson is the Executive Director of Development Services for Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. She has over 10 years of experience in the prospect development and advancement services field, with previous roles at Virginia Commonwealth University and University of South Carolina. The immediate past president of Apra-Virginia, Kristin currently serves on the Apra Chapter Committee and the Best Practices Committee for Prospect Development for AASP. She has a B.S. in Marketing from Virginia Tech and a Masters in Library and Information Science from University of South Carolina. She resides in Richmond with her husband and dogs and enjoys seeing her adult children whenever possible.
- Kristen Johnson currently serves as the Director of Development and Community Engagement for REAL LIFE, an organization serving individuals impacted by incarceration, homelessness or substance use disorder. She previously worked in advancement services for the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education and Virginia Home for Boys and Girls. A proud graduate of William & Mary and University of Richmond School of Law, Kristen is the incoming Executive Vice President of the Junior League of Richmond. She is also active with the Church Hill Association and the Virginia Association of Fundraising Executives. In 2020, Kristen was recognized as one of Style Weekly's Top 40 Under 40. Kristen currently resides in Richmond with her partner, Myke, their two cats, Marauder and Willie, and their pandemic refugee cat, John Stamos.
- Natalie Seever has worked in the technology realm of Higher Education at Missouri State University since 2004. Starting as a Systems Analyst in the department of Management Information Systems, Natalie supported data integrations and upgrades for the Offices of Financial Aid and International Student Services. She served as lead technical support for Financial Aid when the university migrated to Ellucian's suite of Banner products in 2009. In 2011, Natalie moved into the business analysis and project management aspect of support when she was hired in the Office of the Registrar at MSU where she worked on projects that focused on improving technological efficiencies in daily operations. In 2018, Natalie was hired in the University's foundation where she lead a successful migration from Banner Advancement to Ellucian's CRM Advance. She continues to serve in this role as a business analyst and system administrator.
Tuesday: "Buy the Ticket, Take the Ride: A Case Study in Streamlining Prospect Development Requests"
Michelle Nicoletto and Lucy Pastier (Associate Directors of Prospect Development at Temple University) present a case study of how the Advancement Operations team at Temple University created and launched a project management and ticketing system. This presentation will focus on what steps are needed for a successful ticket launch and special considerations for creating a system that works for Prospect Research and Prospect Management Request.
Michelle Nicoletto is a well-rounded development professional with thirteen years of experience focused on fundraising and process management. Since 2014, Michelle has worked for her alma mater, Temple University, currently supporting the College of Liberal Arts, the College Public Health, and College for Performing and Cinematic Arts as an Associate Director of Prospect Development. Most recently, she earned her MBA in May 2020.
Lucy Pastier is an Associate Director of Prospect Development at Temple University supporting the College of Science & Technology, the College of Engineering, the Lewis Katz School of Medicine, and Temple University Hospital. Before joining Temple University, she was a one-person Prospect Research shop for the Free Library of Philadelphia Foundation. She’s always excited to have an excuse to create a pivot table.
Thursday: "DIY Prospect Scoring"
Custom scoring isn’t just for a huge consulting budget or a degree in statistics. As a solo shop with a small budget, Rachael Walker has worked on three different custom scoring projects with varying degrees of complexity at Western Carolina University. Join her for an overview of how she has scored on a budget, including a deep dive of one scoring project done entirely in Excel (without a fancy formula in sight)!
Rachael Dietrich Walker has been the Director of Prospect Development at Western Carolina University since February 2018, where she is a shop of one doing a little bit of everything in prospect development, analytics, and database work. She was previously the Director of Prospect Development and Analytics at the UNC System Office, where she built a shared services program to provide prospect research support to the UNC system’s emerging campuses. She holds an MLIS from UNC-Greensboro and a BA from the University of Richmond.
Friday: "Willkommen, Bienvenue, Welcome, C’mon In: Onboarding for Success and Retention"
An organized, thorough, and positive onboarding experience is critical for a new hire’s success and retention – but while an exciting time, it can also be overwhelming for both them and the existing team. Managers and non-managers alike have an important role in contributing to a new staff member’s onboarding experience. This interactive session with Catherine Flaatten will provide strategies, tips, and templates for developing a standardized onboarding plan specific to your organization and team, no matter your role.
Catherine is the Managing Director of Research & Relationship Management at The George Washington University. Setting the vision for the prospect development program within the division of Development and Alumni Relations, she leads her team in partnering with Frontline fundraisers to reach new heights of success together. Previously, Catherine served as the Manager of Prospect Research at Share Our Strength, a national organization working to end childhood hunger in the United States. Prior to that, she worked in prospect research at the BrightFocus Foundation and the National Psoriasis Foundation. A regular speaker and author within the local, national, and international prospect development communities, Catherine serves as President of Apra Metro DC and Chair of the AASP Best Practices in Prospect Development Committee. She holds a BA in International Affairs and an MPH in Maternal and Child Health, both from The George Washington University.
