Welcome to APRA-MN!

Building on our Minnesota legacy, APRA-Minnesota’s mission is to serve and educate fundraising professionals interested in the field of philanthropic research.

Announcements

APRA-MN Offering Scholarships for Prospect Research Bootcamp!

Curious about research and related fields in prospect development for nonprofits? Want to learn more at APRA-MN’s upcoming bootcamp? Apply for one of three scholarship and join us on February 9^th! While you must become a member of APRA-MN ($25 for a year), our scholarships fully cover registration at the member rate (a $100 value). Note: if you’ve already registered you may still apply for a scholarship.

Simply complete this application and return it to Vice President Marcy Cheeseman, but don't delay: the deadline to apply is January 27!

Help Celebrate APRA's 25th Anniversary -- Volunteers Needed!

APRA is planning a year-long celebration commemorating our association’s 25th anniversary, and we’re looking for people to help plan and implement the effort. All subcommittees have staff support, so the time commitment is manageable. Volunteers must be members of APRA International. Projects launching soon include:

• Chapter, Leadership and Service Provider Video Subcommittee -- Encourage APRA chapters, longtime leaders and service providers to create their own grassroots videos that showcase their involvement in APRA and support of the fundraising research community as well as how APRA and its community has impacted their career and contributes to ongoing professional growth. Note: Subcommittee members aren’t responsible for filming footage, just for getting people excited about shooting their own informal videos and contributing to the campaign.
  
• Website Subcommittee -- Help to update the APRA History pages (for years 2009–2011) and select interesting facts for the APRA History Highlight section of the homepage, which launches Jan. 9, 2012. 
• Social Media Subcommittee -- We’ll have plenty of information to share beginning January 2012. APRA staff will provide updates to subcommittee members, who will share through social media outlets such as PRSPCT-L, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. 
• Connections contributors -- If you’d like to contribute historical articles, photos or commentary -- or have a “looking back, looking forward” perspective to share -- APRA staff will connect you with Pamela Poland, editor of APRA’s quarterly journal.
  

If you have special skills or interest in these areas, contact APRA Marketing Manager Marcie Valerio at mvalerio@aprahome.org.

New APRA-MN Board Members for 2012-2013 Term

We're pleased to announce the newly elected board members for the 2012-13 term:

Shanna Ames, Prospect Research Associate, Macalester College
Marcy Cheeseman, Prospect Research Manager, Presbyterian Homes and Services
Mark Egge, Director of Prospect Research, Carleton College
Stacie C. Haugen, Prospect Research Manager, St. Paul Academy and Summit School
Kerstin Leonard, Research and Data Analyst, Northwestern College

Thank you to our membership for taking the time to vote, and please join us in congratulating our newly elected board members!

APRA-MN Fall Conference Scholarship Winners

Congratulations to APRA-MN Fall Conference Scholarship winners, Rebecca Baumann (Independent), Shari Kay Hunter (Prairie Oaks Institute at Robert Creek), and Mark Swanson (University of Minnesota Law School). APRA-MN is proud to be able to offer this valuable member benefit!

We would also like to thank the scholarship selection committee members Susan Bora, Bonnie Fast, and Cheri Gerenz, led by APRA-MN Vice President Marcy Cheeseman.

APRA International Conference Scholarship Winner

We are proud to announce that Kristen Barlow, Development Specialist at Courage Center in Golden Valley, has won the APRA-MN scholarship for the APRA International Conference in Austin, TX, July 27-30, 2011. Congratulations to Kristen!

We would also like to thank the scholarship selection committee, which is composed of Hannah Baines (William Mitchell), Deb Dressely (Fairview Foundation), and Sarah Soucek (St. David's Center), and led by APRA-MN Vice President Marcy Cheeseman (University of MN Foundation).

APRA-MN Spring Conference Scholarship Winners

Congratulations to APRA-MN Spring Conference Scholarship winners, Joyce Welling-Prahm (Gustavus Adolphus College), Robin Veal (Independent), and Susan Stekel (Independent). APRA-MN is proud to be able to offer this valuable member benefit!

We would also like to thank the scholarship selection committee members Hannah Baines, Deb Dressely, and Sarah Soucek, led by APRA-MN Vice President Marcy Cheeseman.

APRA-MN Membership Survey

Special thanks to all our APRA-MN members who completed our recent membership survey. A grand total of 61 people responded, 57 of whom completed the entire survey. (This is a response rate of 52%. WOW!!) As promised, we drew names from the survey respondents to determine who won the gift-cards. The three winners included Laura Hainlen of Bethel University, Deb Dressely of Fairview Foundation, and Kerry Walsh of Friends of the Mississippi River. We are grateful for your participation, and the information gathered will help guide our future efforts.

Interview with Jay Frost

A great interview with fundraising industry veteran Jay Frost is featured in the December 2010 issue of APRA-MN’s members-only quarterly newsletter, The Networker. Excerpts from the interview are available here, but if you’d like to read the article in full, become a member of APRA-MN today!

APRA-MN is now on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook!

Follow us on Twitter to hear the latest news about APRA-MN and what’s going on in the Prospect Research and Fundraising industries. You can also join the conversation with our Facebook and LinkedIn group pages, where we’ve already had some great posts and exchanges. Participating in APRA-MN’s social media outlets can enhance your membership experience by helping you build relationships with other members, learn about new resources and opportunities in the field, and continue to develop and expand your network.

AFP Minnesota

Check out AFP Minnesota's educational offerings!

iWave Partner Program

APRA-MN is proud to partner with iWave.