A Message From the President

Dear Friends and Colleagues:

APRA has come a long way since I joined the Board of Directors six years ago. In the past year alone, we launched a dynamic Web site, fully electronic and searchable Connections, and many new educational offerings. We substantially changed and improved our governance model, which culminates with this year’s election and adoption of new strategies for committee structures, volunteer recruitment and leadership development. We dramatically evolved APRA’s brand image to be a powerful expression of our role as partners in fundraising across our ever-growing and diversifying profession. We forged new partnerships with peer organizations, vendors and sponsors, creating synergies and collaborations that deliver even more value and benefits to members.

We have much to be proud of, but there is much still to do and more changes to come. APRA recognizes the challenges we all face in this new economy, yet we remain steadfast in our mission to promote the value and impact of our members on the greater fundraising and philanthropic community. I am excited about the board’s work in the development of a new strategic plan (see Looking Forward), which will be finalized in the coming months. Our goal is to build on core member benefits and invest in new ones. 

These are difficult objectives in this environment, requiring us to keep a pulse on membership and nonprofit community while looking for creative solutions to reduce expenses and provide new opportunities for growth and effectiveness. These conversations will continue under APRA’s future leaders (see Board of Directors), and I have no doubt that APRA will succeed in reaching its goals and achieving new levels of excellence.

I have cherished my time on the APRA board and sought to push forward a sense of community and inclusiveness during my tenure as president. Though I have enjoyed this profession for more than 10 years, serving as president revealed to me new insights about the profession and the talented individuals in it, whether at the board table, in chapter meetings or over lunch at the APRA conference.

Thank you for supporting my leadership in this wonderful organization. It has been a privilege to serve on the board and as APRA president.

Looking forward,

Elizabeth Crabtree
2007–2009 APRA President