Apra-IL upcoming events

Apra-IL Partner Webinar: From Blank Page to Briefing - Live Prospect Research Featuring DonorAtlas (Tue, June 23, 2026)

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Apra-IL Partner Webinar: From Blank Page to Briefing - Live Prospect Research Featuring DonorAtlas

Will Schrepferman, co-founder and CEO of DonorAtlas, will walk through real prospect research scenarios that every team faces (last-minute briefings; capital campaign prospecting, relationship mapping, and more). And the best part? You choose exactly which scenarios to work through!

You'll see DonorAtlas, the first prospect research tool built from the ground up with AI, go from a blank search bar to cited, sourced dossiers in seconds. What you'll take away:

A realistic sense of what AI-native prospect research actually looks like
Concrete workflows you can try right away, whether or not you're a DonorAtlas customer
How to get time back for the analysis and judgment only researchers can do

Bring your hardest research questions, there will be time at the end to go through your own scenarios!

Speaker Bio

Will Schrepferman is the co-founder and CEO of DonorAtlas, the donor research platform built from the ground up with AI. Will raised his first dollar at age 13, studied government and data science at Harvard, and has spent his career helping mission-driven organizations find and connect with the people who can support them. Last year, DonorAtlas became the first donor research tool to release fully embedded relationship mapping, helping nonprofits see not just who can give, but who knows whom.

Apra-IL Webinar: The Value of Prospect Research - Upscaling Relevance, Standards, and Partnership in Your Work (Thu, July 16, 2026)

Thu, 16 Jul 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Apra-IL Webinar: The Value of Prospect Research - Upscaling Relevance, Standards, and Partnership in Your Work

The purpose of this conversation is to create tangible takeaways on how to be a value add, create valuable relationships and work products. During this conversation, the moderator will set up four different scenarios for the panelists to provide strategic insights on. For example, relationship mapping to-dos – mapping influence and impact; due diligence; and upscaling deliverables such as pipeline creation.

Speaker Bios

Moderator - Joan Ogwumike, Prospect Research Consultant: Joan has extensive skills and experiences in prospect research, strategy and engagement, portfolio development, major and principal gift research, proactive research, and prospect research consultancy. Joan has held the role of prospect researcher at organizations focused on civic engagement, youth empowerment, higher education, and culture and humanities. Recent organizations include St. Benedict’s Prep School, the Obama Foundation, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and Mikva Challenge. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communication with a concentration in Journalism from Purdue University, Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Illinois at Springfield, and a certification in Philanthropic Psychology from the Institute of Sustainable Philanthropy. Her passion for prospect research extends to writing for her creative outlet, A Researcher’s Diary, a blog focused on creatively and thoughtfully exploring all things prospect research and fundraising.

Panelist - Derry Deringer, Founder and Principal of Deringer Consulting: Derry Deringer is the founder and principal of Deringer Consulting, LLC, a practice specializing in major gifts and capital campaign fundraising for nonprofits. With more than 20 years in the field and over 100 clients served, Derry brings a practitioner's depth to every engagement, advising and coaching staff, board members, and fundraisers toward transformative results in revenue generation.

More than half of Deringer Consulting's clients work in the human services sector, reflecting Derry's commitment to strengthening organizations that serve communities with the greatest need. Derry's career spans business, nonprofit, and international organizations, offering a cross-sector perspective that is rare in the fundraising consulting world.

Certified in facilitation, coaching, and fundraising, Derry is a trusted voice in the nonprofit community and a sought-after speaker, facilitator, and advisor. Derry is based in Alexandria, Virginia.

Panelist - Jenn Grasso, Director of Advancement Research & Prospect Management at Bates College: Jenn Grasso brings over 13 years of experience to her role as the Director of Advancement Research & Prospect Management at Bates College

A veteran of the Apra and NEDRA communities, Jenn excels at driving strategies for leadership and frontline fundraisers to build meaningful relationships with top prospects.

As an embedded partner in philanthropy, she and her team focus on prospect identification and portfolio management to build a robust pipeline of high-capacity donors. Jenn is a proponent of data integrity and intelligence-based fundraising, leveraging research tools to uncover prospects' philanthropic motivations that impact the institution’s mission. Her career includes foundational roles at the Trust for Public Land and Bowdoin College. Beyond her professional work, Jenn is a dedicated community leader, serving on various town boards and for the Maine Women's Conference.

Apra-IL Webinar: Abductive Reasoning in Prospect Research - Critical Thinking and the Logic of the Best Guess (Wed, August 26, 2026)

Wed, 26 Aug 2026 17:00:00 GMT

Apra-IL Webinar: Abductive Reasoning in Prospect Research - Critical Thinking and the Logic of the Best Guess

Abductive reasoning is a form of logic which research and non-profit professionals utilize everyday. Distinct from both deductive and inductive logic, abductive reasoning is also known as the "Logic of the Maybe" and involves forming conclusions from the information and data that is known. It is also the ideal kind of logical reasoning for making new discoveries. Through sharpening your critical thinking and abductive skills, you can bring a brand-new level of value to the conclusions and consultations you provide as a prospect research professional. Through easy to understand, yet fascinating examples, and a surprising amount of humor, this presentation gives you all the tools you need to energize, inform and re-think your approach to prospect research.

Speaker Bios:

Cayden Ferrin: Cayden currently serves as the Director of Prospect Research, Management and Data Analytics at the University of Wyoming Foundation in Laramie, Wyoming. In this role he leads all elements of the Prospect Development Department in supporting the UW Foundation’s fundraising mission in efforts related to Major, Planned, Principal and Leadership Annual Giving. He previously served as the Associate Director of the Department, and as Prospect Research Analyst for the UWF for over 4 years.

Cayden has served with the Apra-Rocky Mountains Chapter Board for nearly 6 years and

currently serves as the Vice President and Programs Directors for the Chapter.

Cayden earned both a Bachelor of Arts, and a Master of Arts in Political Science from

the University of Montana (UM) in 2016, and 2018, respectively. He thoroughly enjoys

opportunities for public speaking and connecting with peers in the Prospect

Development community.

Apra-IL Fall Symposium 2026 - Save the Date! (Fri, October 02, 2026)

Fri, 02 Oct 2026 14:30:00 GMT

2026 Apra-IL Fall Symposium - Save the Date!

Friday, October 2, 2026

Art Institute of Chicago, Nichols Trustee Suite

159 E. Monroe St., Chicago, IL 60603

Interested in presenting at our 2026 Symposium? Our 2026 Speaker Application is now open exclusively for Apra-IL members until Monday, June 1st, 2026. The application will then open up to non-members from June 1st until Friday, July 3rd. Got an idea you've been hoping to share with our community? We'd love to have you as part of our program!

Access the speaker application link here.