March is International Prospect Development Pride Month. #ResearchPride was launched by Helen Brown two years ago. A fundraising professional since 1987 and co-author of the book Prospect Research for Fundraisers with Jen Filla, Helen is a distinguished prospect research professional. (As the Chair of Programming for the conference I am particularly excited to say that Helen will be one of the keynote speakers at the APRA Canada Conference in Toronto in October 2016. The conference will also be celebrating the 15th anniversary of APRA Canada so there is a lot to be proud of!)
It is no secret that I am proud to be a freelance prospect researcher. I love the fact that I am able to work with a variety of organizations and assist them in meeting their fundraising goals. I am proud of the work that I do and the fact that there are new and exciting challenges each day. I am also proud that there have been many developments in the prospect research and development field since I started my career. There have been changes in the tools we use and the way we research but there have also been changes within the industry itself. There has been more collaboration between front line fundraisers and researchers and more importantly there has been a change in the way prospect researchers see themselves. We no longer feel like a behind the scenes component, we see ourselves as a vital member of the fundraising team. #ResearchPride is a fantastic opportunity to share our pride with others all month long.