Issue 42 October 2013

Susan Loh, Manager, Prospect Research, University of Calgary

Everyone has had mentors or been a mentee at some point in their life.  Parents, siblings, teachers are often our first mentors.  With time, the circle widens to include friends, uncles, the “big kid” next door, and as we ourselves mature and grow, we too become mentors – sometimes by design, other times by chance.  

By Kat Carson, Manager, Pipeline Development, University of Calgary

By Mary MacLeod Lindsay, Manager of Advancement Research, University of Guelph

"I didn't train for this job, I just kind of fell into it." How many times have you heard that from a prospect researcher? I have heard it many times and my experience is very similar. However, preparing to move forward in your career takes a little more planning and preparation.

This is my story and I hope that it will encourage people and, perhaps, provide some advice.

Q &A: CAREER TRANSITIONS

Tracey Church (TC), Liz Rejman (LR) and Melody Song (MS)  –  three dynamic women who share a passion for prospect research and who have, over the years, contributed – and continue to do so  –  to enhancing, strengthening and nurturing the profession within Canada and beyond.  Their career paths have spanned consultancy, frontline fundraising and advancement leadership, and we are delighted to have them share their personal career journeys and insights with us.

By Shannon Doherty, Prospect Researcher, Wilfrid Laurier University

This was my first APRA International Conference and, as a relatively new prospect researcher (two years in the field), I was very eager to meet fellow prospect researchers. I wanted to have conversations about where I could compare notes, and get ideas to tweak certain processes in my research office.

By Merritt Kalagian, Researcher, Shaw Festival Theatre

First, it was a great honor for me to be recognized and judged by peers, as being worthy of this financial grant, in order to take advantage of an educational and networking opportunity by attending the 2013 APRA International Conference in Baltimore. For without this financial grant, I would have been unable to attend and would have missed a great professional opportunity. 

By Melody Song, MA, CFRE, Manager, Prospect Research Senior Officer, Calgary Zoo

A year after I first attended the APRA International Conference, I had already forgotten the feeling of seeing 1000 researchers in one room: definitely thrilled, a bit scary, perhaps. I am so used to being in the minority and all of sudden, voila, you see researchers everywhere! What’s even scarier to see is all 1000 researchers standing up on their feet and doing a happy dance together!  What was going on?! 

Ok, let’s back up.

By Gretchen Wintermeyer, Director, Membership

APRA Canada’s Membership continues to grow – since July 2013 we have welcomed 30 new members to our organization. This is in addition to the 116 members who renewed their annual membership for 2012 – 2013.

This is an exciting time for Prospect Researchers across Canada as our ranks grow. We continue to receive questions about membership enrolment from colleagues across Canada and welcome all inquiries.

Please join me in welcoming our newest APRA Canada Members as of July 1, 2013:

It’s back to school time and, of course, the busiest fundraising quarter of the year! This President’s report is going to be short and sweet with two main points on my mind: the great Canadian representatives we had at the APRA International Conference this year; and, the upcoming APRA – Canada Board Elections!

APRA International Conference, Baltimore, MD (August 7 – 10, 2013)

Fall has always been special.  We reap what we sow and reflect on what we’ve accomplished. 

In this issue of The SCOOP – Career Advancement & Success – we focus on these themes as we reflect on our profession, career choices and future options.