Prospect Development Best Practices

Prospect Development Best Practices are now available for download on the Apra website! 

First developed in conjunction with aasp, the Best Practices cover essential topics, from the Ethics of Prospect Development to Working With Demographic Data and beyond. Keep reading for a full list!

Thank you for being part of the Apra community. We’re proud to support your work with tools that move the profession forward. As a Professional or Organizational Apra member, enjoy access to these Prospect Development Best Practices free of cost. Log in to access them below.

For more information on Apra benefits and resources, please contact info@aprahome.org.

Topics Covered

This resource shares high-level best practices in the following topic areas:

• Best Practice in Building a Gift Pyramid Table
• Best Practice in Conducting Prospect Research on a Shoestring
• Best Practice in Demonstrating ROI and Impact in Prospect Development
• Best Practice in Developing Engagement Scores
• Best Practice in Due Diligence
• Best Practice in Ethics of Prospect Development
• Best Practice in Executive Portfolio Reviews
• Best Practice in External Engagement & Collaboration in your Organization
• Best Practice in Gift Officer Transitions
• Best Practice in Impossible Requests from Important People
• Best Practice in Internal Collaboration in Your Org
• Best Practice in Major Gift Officer Goal Planning
• Best Practice in Onboarding for Prospect Development
• Best Practice in Portfolio Optimization
• Best Practice in Principal Gift Programs
• Best Practice in Prominent Alumni Research
• Best Practice in Prospect Coding
• Best Practice in Prospect Management Policies
• Best Practice in Prospect Management Reporting
• Best Practice in Prospect Research Metrics
• Best Practice in Qualification and Disqualification of Prospects
• Best Practice in Research Request Forms
• Best Practice in Resources Researchers Use
• Best Practice in Vetting International Prospects
• Best Practice in Working with Demographic Data

Additional Resources

If you enjoy resources like our Prospect Development Best Practices, consider exploring the following:

• Apra Fundamentals: Prospect Resarch: These online learning modules focus on the four key areas of prospect development: Campaigns, Prospect Research, Prospect Management, and Data Science. They explore fundraising terms and technologies as well as techniques and resources for finding and analyzing biographical, background, and financial information; introduce participants to corporate and foundation research; and delve into how available data can be used to formulate gift capacities and inform fundraising operations. 
  • Looking for a live, in-person experience? Consider attending this course on Aug. 19 in Baltimore!
• Apra Body of Knowledge: This comprehensive tool helps individuals and their managers identify growth opportunities and ensure they have the knowledge and resources needed to excel in their current positions or assume new responsibilities at their organizations. The Body of Knowledge (BOK) also helps prospect development professionals demonstrate the breadth of their knowledge to those who are less familiar with their role.
• Body of Knowledge Career Roadmap: Are you considering what your career might look like in the future? This career development roadmap guides professional development for early to mid-level career professionals. With the interactive Game of Apra, you can supplement Apra's Body of Knowledge (BoK) to learn practical ways to develop your skills, especially if you’re in the first five years of your career. Got more than five years of experience? There are still plenty of great takeaways!