Apra Fundamentals: Relationship Management

Apra Fundamentals: Research Management 2025 took place Aug. 19 in Baltimore. Stay tuned for 2026 details.

Apra Fundamentals: Relationship Management is a foundational program designed for fundraising professionals new to the industry who want to build a strong understanding of relationship management, portfolio optimization and strategic donor engagement.

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Who Should Attend?

New professionals in prospect development who want to gain a strong foundation in relationship management or anyone seeking practical strategies to improve relationship management, portfolio optimization and collaboration between prospect development and frontline fundraisers.

What Will You Learn?

Core principles of relationship management, including portfolio management, prospect strategy and metrics.
Best practices for tracking and reporting on donor engagement.
How relationship management fits within the broader prospect development cycle.
Opportunities to network and share experiences with other professionals in the field.

What Else Is Included in Apra Fundamentals: Relationship Management Registration?

Leading up to the in-person event, registrants will receive exclusive access to an online learning community, where they can:

Network with fellow attendees and faculty experts.
Download course materials and resources.
Complete mandatory pre-event learning modules (approximately four hours) to prepare for in-depth discussions at the event.

The pre-event online modules, ranging from 20-60 minutes each, include:

Relationship Management Introduction

Relationship management is more than a system — it's a strategic mindset that aligns people, processes and data to drive transformational philanthropy. In this introductory module, you'll explore how this discipline serves as the connective tissue between operational excellence and frontline fundraising. By embracing a culture of collaboration, accountability and insight-driven action, your organization can unlock its full potential in major-gift fundraising.

Relationship Management 101

Effective relationship management begins with a clear understanding of the tools and terminology that shape fundraising strategy. In this lesson, you’ll lay the groundwork for optimizing portfolios by exploring key concepts from Apra’s Body of Knowledge, gaining a high-level view of portfolios, pipelines and policies and review essential data points that guide team alignment and strategic decision-making.

Portfolio Optimization 101

Take your portfolio management skills to the next level with practical strategies and problem-solving techniques. In this lesson, you’ll explore the fundamentals of Portfolio 101, learn how to interpret portfolio data effectively and apply strategic thinking to optimize portfolios of all sizes. Whether you're part of a large team or a small shop, you’ll gain actionable insights to build and maintain high-performing portfolios that support your fundraising goals.

Portfolio Optimization 201

Building on the foundations of portfolio strategy, this lesson explores the essential components that drive effective portfolio management. Learn how internal advancement meetings, proposals and prospect tracking intersect with key performance indicators to shape frontline success. By examining gift officer and prospect development metrics, you’ll gain the tools to evaluate performance, guide strategic conversations and ensure your portfolios are aligned for maximum impact.

Projections

Projections help us estimate future outcomes using simple math and past performance — no complex models required. In this lesson, you’ll learn how to create straightforward, explainable projections that support decision-making across individuals, teams and organizations. We’ll explore how to apply these techniques over different timeframes, from annual goals to multiyear campaigns, and how projections can inform staffing, resource allocation and performance planning. Master the fundamentals that make your insights both powerful and easy to communicate.

Data Visualization

Effective portfolio management relies on clear, compelling communication — and data visualization is a powerful tool to make that happen. In this lesson, you’ll learn what information is most valuable to share with development officers, how visual storytelling can drive strategic conversations and how to transform basic data into a simple, actionable dashboard. Empower your team with visuals that clarify, engage and inspire action.

Putting It All Together

In this last lesson, you will learn how to incorporate automations into your systems, clearly articulate business needs to technical teams and create relationship maps that visualize connections and opportunities. Finally, you’ll discover the power of storytelling to communicate impact, inspire action and bring your data to life. This is where strategy, systems and storytelling converge