February Symposium
February 5-6, 2009 • Phoenix, Arizona

Read what attendees had to say about this event.

 The APRA New Researchers Symposium is an intensive two-day seminar and focused learning opportunity led by veteran faculty that addresses fundamental, yet essential elements of prospect research. Newly updated and expanded curriculum ensures that participants have the latest and most relevant information from which to launch an exciting new career in prospect research or hone existing skills and knowledge.

This highly rated program encourages interaction and networking while delivering the highest quality, most in-depth and respected educational content of its kind. The APRA New Researchers Symposium is especially suited for new researchers with less than one year of experience, fundraisers and other development professionals who are interested in learning about research methods and technologies, and managers new to supervising researchers. This comprehensive symposium provides participants with the knowledge, tools and analytical techniques necessary to develop and sustain a high quality prospect research effort.

Download the New Researchers Symposium brochure.

Symposium Attendees Share Their Experience

I was very impressed with the instructors and the quality of presentations they put together — it provided direct insights to every component of prospect research in a very engaging manner. It was very exciting how many of the tips I learned [at the New Researchers Symposium] could be immediately applied. 
—2009 New Researchers Symposium Attendee

[The New Researchers Symposium] was good value for the money in the sense that I walked away with a lot of helpful information and it was info that I could immediately begin to use. …[E]xamples of the info provided are resources — some even free — available via the Internet to do research and the role of a prospect researcher was clearly defined.
—Jennifer Johnson, Manager of Major Funding Support, MAF

One of the best things I took away from the [New Researchers Symposium] was the ability to evaluate goals for the role of prospect research in our organization, with some clear-cut steps for how to apply them. This has already helped me to clarify my role in our department, and to feel comfortable making recommendations and giving my opinion.
—2009 New Researchers Symposium Attendee

I’m relatively new to individual prospect research — the symposium was an excellent overview of the theory, process and tools needed to be successful….Being a newcomer to prospect research, all of the information presented at the symposium was helpful — the information regarding Web searching tools was particularly valuable.
—Kevin Abing, Research Analyst, University Advancement, Marquette University

Program Highlights

• The role of research in development
• Ethics, confidentiality and donor privacy considerations
• Best practices for organizing and managing the research operation
• Essential Web-searching tools and techniques
• Resources, services and publications
• Researching individuals and evaluating wealth indicators
• Researching corporations and foundations and evaluating grant opportunities
• Organizing and presenting information
• Proactive research and an introduction to prospect identification
• An open forum dialogue with faculty will end each day to provide attendees with an opportunity to ask questions, exchange ideas and share experiences

Who Should Attend

• New researchers with less than one year of experience
• Researchers who want a refresher course on fundamental research skills and concepts
• Development professionals with research as one of many responsibilities
• Fundraisers who want to learn how to approach and conduct basic research functions on their own
• Directors and managers of advancement services who want to understand how to effectively train and support prospect research staff

About the Presenters

Elizabeth McHugh
Elizabeth McHugh is an independent consultant. Previously, she was Vice President for Prospect Research at Scottsdale Healthcare Foundation. In her role there, she was responsible for prospect identification, moves management, database integrity, screening, prospect research and cultivation. Before joining Scottsdale Healthcare, McHugh spent 20 years at the Arizona State University Foundation where she built a sustaining prospect management department that assisted in the success of the ASU Campaign for Leadership, which raised more than $550 million.

McHugh is a member of APRA, AHP, AFP, AASP and APRA-Arizona. She is a frequent speaker on the topic of prospect management and research at APRA conferences, virtual seminars and chapter meetings as well as local AFP meetings. She was a member of the APRA Board of Directors for six years and a founding member of the APRA-Arizona chapter. McHugh was the recipient of the 2006 APRA Distinguished Service Award.

Michael Quevli
Michael Quevli began his career in prospect research in 1996 at AIDS Project Los Angeles. He was at the Keck School of Medicine of USC for seven years and was responsible for overseeing the Development Research team before joining Kintera P!N in 2005. Quevli was the membership chair for two terms with the California Advancement Researchers Association, where during his tenure membership increased from 165 to 300. He has served on the board of the LaurelGrove Theatre, has been a consultant to various nonprofits in Southern California and served three consecutive terms on the Stephens College Alumnae board.

Quevli has been a frequent speaker for APRA and APRA chapters, and was an instructor at the College of Extended Learning at Cal State Northridge in prospect research and prospect management. Quevli is a recipient of the 2004 CARA Service Award and the 2007 Stephens College Alumnae Service Award.