APRA - Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement

Letter From the President

Deborah L. Mueller — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:01:00 GMT

This letter is my first communication with you — the APRA members — since my term as president took effect on September 1. I am delighted to serve this organization because APRA has meant so much to me over the years. Beginning with my first APRA conference in Minneapolis — the first ever — I have had the pleasure of getting to know many of you over the years through informal networking at this annual gathering. Formal service at the chapter level and on APRA committees and conference planning has provided opportunities to develop strong friendships, too.

Deborah_Mueller

Letter From the Editor

Sharon McAndrews — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:02:00 GMT

With the arrival of September, and the current issue of Connections, come a few transitions. Not so much the 'out with the old, in with the new' type of transitions (although I suppose there is always an element of truth to that), but more like passing a baton in a relay race where each runner represents a different point along a path that continues carrying on the mission and traditions, but with a new twist or approach.

Sharon_McAndrews

Donor Centered and Research Led: In Step with Penelope Burk

Valerie Anastasio — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:03:00 GMT

Penelope Burk, author of "Donor Centered Fundraising: How to Hold On to Your Donors and Raise Much More Money," is an inquisitive and plainspoken lady. “We listen to donors,” she says, “and whatever they have to say is what we publish.”

Valerie_C._Anastasio

An Interview with Ileana van der Linde Offers a Snapshot of World Wealth

David Eberly — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:04:00 GMT

Recently The New York Times announced on its front page that the rich are no longer getting richer. Over the last two years, the paper reported, they have become poorer, “and many may not return to their old levels of wealth and income anytime soon.” (The New York Times, August 21, 2009, A1). This news would not have surprised Ileana van der Linde, who authored the Capgemini World Wealth Report 2009 on which the Times article was based. Nor would it have been news to the APRA members who attended its annual conference, where van der Linde delivered the keynote address.

Postcards from Boston… and APRA's 22nd Annual International Conference

Connections Contributors — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:05:00 GMT

Seven hundred-plus co-workers, colleagues, even friends — old and new — traveled near and far mid-summer to revel around professional development in historic Boston at this year's 22nd Annual International Conference. APRA members and conference attendees Shannon Carrion and Bill Powers sent 'postcards' from Boston that chronicled some of their experiences, while conference volunteer co-chair Rick Snyder of the Helen Brown Group (and NEDRA president) talked about the many volunteers who pitched in to make this year's conference another successful event.

Expanding the Role of Research — Helping Fundraisers Make More and Better Connections

Paul J. Kaiser — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:06:00 GMT

Marquette University is a Catholic, Jesuit university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There are more than 10,000 current undergraduate and graduate students with 100,000-plus alumni worldwide. There are currently 150 employees in the Division of University Advancement at Marquette. The Research Department is divided into two teams, regional and programmatic. There are currently seven research analysts and one prospect analyst.

Revising the APRA Statement of Ethics

Connections Contributors — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:07:00 GMT

Ethics is the foundation of our profession. Without a personal and a professional code of ethics, none of us would be able to conduct our work with the confidence of our institutions, our donors, or the public at large. APRA has long recognized the importance of ethics and has been a leader in codifying and encouraging ethical conduct. Its Statement of Ethics, most recently revised in 2004, has set the standard for the ethical collection, use, dissemination and retention of information among researchers.

Book Review
“The Wikipedia Revolution: How a Bunch of Nobodies Created the World’s Greatest Encyclopedia” by Andrew Lih

David E. Robertson, Jr. — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 13:08:00 GMT

What a crazy idea to live in a world that gives free license to all who wish to contribute, modify, copy and edit the online work of others. A world that gives strangers the ability to revise, and yes, delete, scholarly and not so scholarly, pedestrian submissions — that world thrives in the virtual world named Wikipedia.

David_Robertson