November 6–7, 2008
Providence Biltmore
11 Dorrance St.
Providence, Rhode Island
(401) 421-0700

Register online now
or download a printable registration form.

Read the New Researchers Symposium brochure and schedule of events.

Registration Rate
$475 Member
$575 Non-member

Room Rate
$179 single/double, plus sales tax

For hotel reservations, call the Providence Biltmore at the number above no later than Friday, October 24, 2008 and mention the APRA room block.

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.

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 Faculty

Elizabeth Crabtree

Elizabeth Crabtree is the director of prospect development at Brown University, where she manages a team of ten professionals who provide advice, counsel and analytical support to several areas critical to Brown’s fundraising effort, including campaign planning and management, prospect identification and research, data mining, modeling and market research, and relationship management.

Previously, Crabtree held senior development positions with Northern Illinois University, Benedictine University, College of DuPage and the Digital Schoolhouse Foundation. Before her work in the nonprofit sector, she spent eight years working as a marketing director and senior analyst in the consumer products and manufacturing industries and six years in arts management as a talent/music agent. Her expertise spans the areas of corporate, foundation and government relations, marketing and business development, communications, and program and volunteer management. Crabtree is a member of AFP, CASE and NEDRA as well as a frequent, nationally recognized speaker, and philanthropy and nonprofit research consultant. Crabtree is the current APRA President.

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.