March 19th Finding the Money: Fundamentals of Prospect Research

Friday, March 19, 2010
Hosted by SUNY Cortland
Bowers Hall
Cortland, NY

9:00 a.m. Registration
Breakfast on your own – Dragon’s Den (walking distance)

9:30 a.m. Prospecting Basics: From Gift Processing to Data Mining
Speaker: Marianne M. Pelletier – Cornell University
This overview course will address the basic steps to building a successful, continuous prospecting program. Donors indicate their willingness to become further engaged through hints more than by stating their intentions outright. In this session, you will learn how to build a few alert systems to catch those hints as they come in. In addition, the session wraps up with a simple exercise in basic statistics that will get you started in finding patterns (and therefore high-level donors) in your database. Bring an Excel-compatible (Excel 2007) workbook with 10 prescribed fields and at least 250 records (I’ll define the fields by email before the conference). You will examine your data on the spot, taking action steps back to your shop.
(Please no drink or food in the computer lab.)

12:00 p.m. Lunch (on your own) and Networking
We will walk a short distance to the Dragon’s Den on campus (cash only).

1:15 p.m. When Worlds Collide
Speaker: Deborah Reinhardt Youmans – Le Moyne College
This session addresses the individual responsibilities of fundraising research in organizations, focusing on the most pressing and stressing aspects of this role and its accountability. Where do I begin? What information is imperative for profiles? What are the best resources for me to use? How do I begin to search and how do I know when to end? How do I know what prospective donors hold the most potential? What factors should I consider for inclination and financial capacity? How do I begin to create or maintain a rating system for financial capacity and inclination? How do I formulate a suggested solicitation amount? How do I best format my analysis for a ‘quick read?’ How do I stop the world from spinning? This session is for those who wish to be pro-active and shine in their organization, while remaining sane during the process.

2:45 p.m. How Much Is That Donor on the Spreadsheet?
Valuing Prospects at the Macro and Micro Level
Speaker: David Shanton - Baruch College
Segmenting our prospect pools (or lists if we don't yet have prospect pools) is perhaps the most important task a researcher can undertake. But how do we value prospects on our lists -- as individuals and as a group? This session will talk about the role of research in providing both a macro snap shot of prospect pools as well as the how-tos of providing individual ratings for prospects.

Directions: http://www2.cortland.edu/about/maps-and-directions/
Parking is readily available.


Find the Prospect Pot of Gold!

Marianne Pelletier, CFRE is currently serving as the Director of Advancement Research and Data Support at Cornell University where she is working on a $4 billion dollar campaign — the most ambitious campaign in Cornell University’s history. Marianne has been in the fundraising field since 1988, when she joined the research team at Harvard's University Development Office. Previously she has served as a researcher for Lesley University and Carnegie Mellon University and as Director of Annual Giving and Development Services for Southern New Hampshire University. Marianne has also worked with Datatel’s clients on the Benefactor product. Marianne is the Board President of APRA-UNY. She is an associate with the Helen Brown Group and serves as a key member of the Group’s data mining services team. She has a bachelor’s degree from Rockford College and an MBA from Southern New Hampshire University.

Deborah Reinhardt Youmans is Director for Advancement Research at Le Moyne College, where she also teaches a freshman elective, Philanthropic Perspectives: Generational Differences. On a pro bono basis, she serves as an independent consultant for small nonprofit agencies in the Central New York area. She is an APRA board member and serves on the Education/Professional Development, Nominations and Ethics committees. She is a member of the National Association for Fund Raising Professionals, Central New York Association for Fund Raising Professionals, National Committee on Planned Giving, and the Planned Giving Council of Upstate New York. Deborah has been a presenter at numerous national, regional and local conferences for APRA, AFP, MARC, NEDRA and CASE, where she earned the faculty star rating. She has served as President of APRA-Upstate New York, board member for the New England Development Research Association, APRA 2008 Conference Curriculum Committee, MARC 2007 Conference Chair, NEDRA 2006 Co-Conference Chair, MARC 2006 Marketing Chair and APRA 2005 Research Fundamentals Track Chair. She holds an MBA from Le Moyne College and bachelor’s degrees in business administration and psychology from Columbia College.

David Shanton joined Baruch College in 2005 as Executive Director of Development, where he oversees the annual fund, leadership giving, alumni relations, advancement research and services, and special events. He also served as Acting Vice President of College Advancement at Baruch from September 2008 to February 2009. Previously, David was a senior consultant with Marts & Lundy for three years, assisting nearly 75 clients throughout the country with their diverse fund raising needs. He began his development career at St. John’s University where he spent 13 years and established the University's first leadership giving society, first reunion giving program, first prospect research program, first systematic stewardship program for endowed funds, first prospect identification program, and first prospect tracking and management program. Along with his strong background in prospect identification, research and management, David also has strong experience in building leadership gifts and reunion giving programs. David has been an active member of several professional associations and served on the APRA Board of Directors from 2003 to 2009. He has also served as vice president and membership director of APRA Greater New York (1997-2001), and as an APRA Foundation Board Trustee (2001). A prolific speaker, David has given presentations at conferences for CASE, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the Foundation Center, The King Baudouin Foundation United States and APRA. David is a graduate of Utica College and received his MA degree from the Eagleton Institute of Politics at Rutgers University. He also received an MLS degree from St. John’s University.


APRA-Upstate New York Chapter
Finding the Money: Fundamentals of Prospect Research
March 19, 2010
SUNY Cortland

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Conference Registration Fees

Registrations greatly appreciated by March 15th but accepted at the door.

I am a member of APRA International/APRA-UNY Chapter..................................................... $25.00

I will attend the Conference and join APRA-UNY (local Membership thru 12/31/2010!) $50.00
I would like to attend the Conference, but do not wish to join APRA-UNY.............................. $75.00

Please email this completed page to: pwhitfor@hamilton.edu
Please make checks out to APRA-UNY and mail to: Patricia Whitford
Director of Development Research, Hamilton College, 198 College Hill Rd., Clinton, NY 13323

You will receive an email confirmation notice from APRA-UNY upon receipt of your conference registration and payment.