Apra Awards
Apra is proud to recognize industry accomplishments through several awards. Applications for Apra Awards are now closed.
Winners will be recognized at Prospect Development 2019. View the Apra Past Awards Winners page for a list of previous award recipients.
Please note that current Selection Committee members are not eligible to receive awards.
Apra Visionary Award
The Visionary Award was created to recognize an Apra member and industry leader who has served as a pioneer or trailblazer in the field and has qualities that exemplify the spirit of Apra.
The recipient of the 2019 Apra Visionary Award is Cecilia Hogan, former director of university relations research, University of Puget Sound.
About Cecilia
Cecilia Hogan led the prospect research effort at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash., for 25 years, retiring from her last position of director of University Relations Research in September 2018. Cecilia served on the Apra board of directors from 1999-2002, primarily leading the Apra Connections effort. Prior to that, she served as president of Apra-NW. Cecilia always loved to talk about prospect research, and she began giving presentations early in her career. Her venues have included big Apra conferences and Apra chapter meetings as well as other spots, including the University of Washington fundraising certification program, planned giving groups, and fundraiser and grantwriter organizations. Cecilia has written articles about fundraising and prospect research for Connections and other publications. She is the author of Prospect Research: A Primer for Growing Nonprofits (2008: Jones & Bartlett Learning, second edition), which is listed as a recommended resource for CFRE candidates. Cecilia was the 2004 recipient of Apra's Distinguished Service Award.
Take a look at Cecilia's exceptional career by reading her recent contribution to Connections: 25 Years in Research: Looking Back, Ahead, and All Around Our Campfire With Cecilia Hogan.
Apra Scholarship
In support of Apra's goal to promote professional growth, Apra's Scholarship Award ensures accessibility to educational programming by awarding a scholarship to a prospect development professional based on financial need and professional merit. In a
The Apra Scholarship covers the costs of conference registration, accommodation (up to four nights) and travel expenses (not to exceed
Eligibility/Qualification:
- Applicants must demonstrate financial need
- Applicants must work at least 50% of the time in prospect development, prospect management, and/or analytics for a non-profit organization in a non-consulting capacity
- Scholarship winners must wait 10 years before applying again.
The recipient of the 2019 Apra Scholarship is Ryan Cassidy, Advancement Manager, University College Dublin Foundation.
About Ryan
In Ryan's current role at University College Dublin, he established and leads the university’s prospect development function, providing strategic counsel to the executive directors of UCD Foundation. Day to day, Ryan oversees prospect management, research and data analytics at UCD Foundation, managing the portfolios of development officers across the university as well as coordinating donor relations, stewardship and alumni relations activities to best serve the university’s major gift portfolios. Ryan's works closely with senior academic leaders to design and execute UCD’s philanthropic strategy, maximizing the engagement, international travel and networks of the President, VPs, Board Members and our Ginger Group.
Prior to joining UCD, he founded and led an educational nonprofit in Malawi.
In Ryan's spare time, he loves to travel and has traveled extensively throughout Europe and Africa. When he is at home, Ryan can usually be found sampling local restaurants, at the cinema or theater or more likely, planning his next trip away.
Apra Margaret Fuhry Award
Funded by the Apra Foundation
Established in 1998, this award is given to an Apra member who shows a commitment to the prospect development profession based on his or her leadership, mentorship
Eligibility/Qualification:
- Employed in prospect development and/or related fields in a non-consulting capacity
- Apra member
- Volunteered within two years of the submission due date
The recipient of the 2019 Margaret Fuhry award is Julie Craig, Sr. Director of Prospect Analytics and Research, KSU Foundation.
About Julie
Julie Craig orchestrates relationship management, prospect exploration, and data science and market research at the Kansas State University Foundation. She has modernized her team’s partnership with development officers while concentrating efforts on sustainable fundraising through portfolio optimization. Having recently launched an intense focus on data analytics, Julie directs the assessment of donor engagements across the development spectrum, evaluating findings to actionize change.
Currently, she is co-leading a multi-departmental committee to ignite a marketing emphasis across the organization, aimed at enhancing donor experience and broadening the foundation for philanthropic donations.
Julie joined the Kansas State University Foundation’s Planned Giving Department in 2004. She transitioned to collegiate development, went on to create the foundation for prospect management at KSUF, assumed prospect research and implemented data analytics. Julie transitioned to collegiate development, then implemented prospect management at KSUF, assumed prospect research and initiated an emphasis on data analytics.
She served on the Apra Mo/Kan Board of Directors from 2013-2019 as Secretary and Vice President, and on subcommittees to plan Apra Midwest and Apra Mo/Kan Conferences ever since. She has been an active mentor within the chapter and enjoys sharing her knowledge and experiences through networking and speaking at conferences.
Apra Professional of the Year Award
This award was established in 1999 and is open to all Apra members. Formerly known as the Researcher of the Year award, it recognizes an outstanding prospect development professional who has made a significant positive impact on his or her organization's success in fulfilling its mission. The award is intended to recognize the skills, talents
The Apra Professional of the Year award recipient receives a full complimentary conference registration and accommodations.
Eligibility/Qualification:
- Be employed by a nonprofit organization registered with its national governing authority (if in the United States, a 501(c)(3)
- Conducts prospect research and/or relationship management in his/her position at least 50% of the time
- Be an Apra member in good standing
The recipient of the 2019 Professional of the Year award is Caroline Deaton, Development Associate, Bethesda Lutheran Communities.
About Caroline
Bethesda Lutheran Communities’ development associate, Caroline Deaton, known to all as Carrie, does more than informally knock together numbers and data.
With more than 25 years of her best work in stewardship, customer-service, team-building and development, including eight years from Vanderbilt’s Divinity School development department, she’s passionate about using her extensive experiences to implement strategic vision to increase brand awareness, to research initiatives for lead generation of new donors and to contribute motivating efficient ways to affect the bottom line, retention and solve problems.
Carrie has always known her true calling was working with people, of all abilities, to serve their communities and neighbors. She inspires those around her to never give up, to fill their lives with laughter and to always learn from the lessons that life hands you…it keeps you growing!
Apra Distinguished Service Award
Funded by the Apra Foundation
Established in 1990, the Distinguished Service Award honors an individual who has enhanced both the prospect development profession and Apra through exceptional contributions beyond his/her daily paid work. The award takes into account professional competencies (the Apra Skill Sets and the Body of Knowledge) and personal competencies (contributions that facilitate learning and talents that are exceptional). Self-nominations are permitted.
Eligibility/Qualification:
- Apra membership in good standing at the time of nomination
- At least five years of experience in the field of prospect development
Nominees cannot be employees of the award sponsor or current board members of Apra International.
The recipient of the 2019 Distinguished Service award is Beth Inman, National Director, Prospect Management, JDRF
About Beth
Beth Inman is the National Director, Prospect Management for JDRF, the world’s largest nonprofit funder of type 1 diabetes research. Prior to joining JDRF, she was the Senior Director of Prospect Management and Research Analysis at the University of South Carolina and Director of Development Services at The Citadel Foundation. At all three of these organizations, she was hired into newly created positions designed to introduce prospect management systems to drive the work of the major gifts enterprises.
Before her development career, Beth was the Associate Curator of American and Decorative Art at the Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, South Carolina. She is currently in her second year on the Ethics and Compliance Committee for Apra International and serves as Immediate Past President of Apra Carolinas.
Beth is a native of Charlotte, North Carolina, and holds a bachelor’s degree in art history from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and a master’s degree in art history from the University of South Carolina. She is a mom to a 15-year-old daughter and is passionate about literacy, the arts and women’s rights causes.
If you have questions about Apra awards, please view our Frequently Asked Questions page, or contact Apra Headquarters.
