Apra Canada Virtual Conference 2024 Sessions

Shaping the Future of Prospect Research, presented by CharityCAN

Join Tracey in this introduction to prospect research session where she will discuss the holistic way researchers approach identification of prospects and researching donors for their organizations. Learn of the many techniques and resources available (free and subscription) that will help you to get to know more about your current donors and future prospective donors. We will look at ways to determine initial affinity and capacity ratings based on corporate revenue and giving guidelines, foundation assets and funding interests, wealth indicators for the individuals, and how to identify new major giving donors (and others too – like blended/integrated prospects!). Learn...

A discussion panel featuring Apra Canada mentors and mentees hosted by Elanna Giang of the Discovery Group.

We will discuss best practices of major gift portfolios through moves management. Intended Audience: Intermediate Key Learnings: Learn about how the IU Foundation partners with our fundraisers through thoughtful conversations around their portfolios. We will discuss portfolio maintenance, goal progress, and reports that help us with moves management.

This session provides a case study of the board candidate tracking process and strategy maintenance at the Sinai Health Foundation. Typically, the focus in Prospect Research is finding the next big donor. Our response to the volunteer pipeline is usually reactive in the form of profiles or a one-off request to find potential nominees. At the Sinai Health Foundation, we recently introduced a board renewal strategy to show the volunteer board pipeline a bit more love. Through a robust tracking process and strategic development, we are creating a sustainable pipeline of future volunteers. Intended Audience: Beginner, Intermediate Key Learnings: Development...

The presentation will offer actionable steps for moving from aspirational 'fantasy fundraising' to an evidence-based, data-driven approach. Participants will walk away with strategies to refine their prospect base and focus on realistic and sustainable fundraising goals.

In this session, get a high-level overview of the science and technology behind GPT-4o and other large language models. We’ll take a look at the history of deep learning and some of the concepts that have made recent leaps in artificial intelligence possible. This is a technical talk (there is some high school math mentioned) presented for a non-technical audience. Intended Audience: Beginner Key Learnings: Understand more of the history and technology behind language models and machine learning Find out how a large language model represents and "understands" language Why how these models are built can help us figure out...

After working for years in data and analytics, I can confirm - we have to update our approach for research and analytics. The lack of equity in the strategies represents missed opportunities for engagement. But, what does that equity-driven data work look like? How do we ensure we are representing our internal and external community in the data? How are we building access around data? We don’t have to look too far for the answer. Most often, simple changes can ensure better results. In this short session, I will share 4-ways nonprofits can leverage data today to build more equity...

In this session we will explore the attitudes and approaches that help teams become more open to AI adoption. We will discuss fostering a culture where AI is seen as a tool for enhancing human work, not replacing it. We will learn some practical techniques to creating a safe space for questions and innovation in teams. Intended Audience: Beginner Key Learnings: By the end of the session, you will have actionable strategies to cultivate a mindset that welcomes AI, while supporting your team’s growth and adaptability in a tech-driven world.

The rise of Donor-advised funds in recent years has been undeniable, but data about these funds, and practical resources for charities looking to maximize their potential, has been sorely lacking. To address this gap, KCI and the CAGP Foundation recently released a research report focused on this rapidly growing giving vehicle, which examined DAFs from the perspective of donors, financial advisors, and, importantly, the thousands of operating charities in Canada that, together, receive over $1 billion in funding from DAFs each year. In this session Celeste will present key findings from this report including the basic elements of Donor-advised funds...

In this high-level session, we will explore the critical role of data in modern prospect research, focusing on key initiatives such as capacity scoring, inclination scoring, and donor segmentation and profiling. We’ll discuss how these tools help organizations identify potential donors and optimize fundraising efforts. The presentation will also offer practical tips on building and empowering data teams, ensuring that even non-technical attendees leave with actionable insights. Intended Audience: Intermediate Key Learnings: The Power of Predictive Analytics: Understand how capacity and inclination scores are used to identify and prioritize high-potential donors. Donor Segmentation and Profiling: Learn how data-driven segmentation can...

Lead generation is a critical activity in maintaining a healthy pipeline of donors. And yet, it’s an activity that too often gets set aside for other tasks. This session will help you break down lead generation into manageable tasks and set you up for success. Intended audience: General, Intermediate Specific learning outcomes: Understand the Importance of Lead Generation: Participants will learn why lead generation is a critical activity for maintaining a healthy donor pipeline, and they will gain insights into the long-term benefits it brings to their organization. Identify Key Components of Effective Lead Generation: Attendees will be able to...

Two years ago, Sunnybrook Foundation began an ambitious project to completely change the way our constituents are rated. The goal of this project, dubbed the L-I-A (Link-Inclination-Ability) Project, was to create an automated system that would score our constituents on an daily basis, with ratings fluctuating based on data entry and updates to Raiser's Edge to numerous fields in our CRM System i.e. donations, actions, patient history, volunteer/physician connections, research info, event attendance, etc. The L-I-A Project would be heavily used by the Prospect Research staff for Prospect Identification, Prospect Screening, Prospect Migration and Gift Capacity Ranges but also by...

This panel will explore the essential role of due diligence in prospect development. As the landscape of prospect development evolves, understanding due diligence procedures has never been more critical. Our expert panellists from leading Canadian post-secondary institutions will share valuable insights, best practices, and lessons learned. From balancing internal resources with external solutions to making informed decisions that align with organizational goals, attendees will leave with practical strategies to enhance their due diligence efforts. With engaging stories and real-world experiences, this session will provide key takeaways for those looking to elevate their approach to due diligence.

In this session, Delphine Rocher-Lewis will present her experience creating a prospect management system in the midst of the planning phase of a 1 billion $ campaign and the migration to a new CRM. Using key Change Management concepts, the Operations team at the Université de Montréal was able to implement prospect management to a team of 20+ fundraisers. Two years later, Delphine now looks back at the ups, the downs, the mistakes and the successes. Intended Audience: Beginner, Intermediate Key Learnings: The value of using the Change Management framework in Prospect Management The importance of building a trust-based relationship...

As Head of Philanthropy for a major European innovation agency for Climate Change, Melody will share her journey transitioning from Canada to Europe, from a hyper local to an uber international fundraising career. The session will focus on key learnings from her interactions with foundations and high-net worth individuals globally and her current challenge raising funds for international causes like Climate Change. Melody will also draw on major philanthropic trends she observed of international funders and latest stats on European foundations. Intended Audience: Experienced Key Learnings: International philanthropy trends Donors from Asia Donors from Europe

In January, the Prospect Management Team, in collaboration with the Business Intelligence team, at the University of Toronto, launched a Portfolio Visualization tool. Thanks to this report, Fundraisers and support staff can now review their active major gift assignments through the lens of various visualizations and segmentations, with the goal to understand portfolio composition by Constituent Type, Stage, and Interactions as well as inform next steps. This presentation will walk attendees through the process of launching this tool, from preliminary work done to amalgamate and synthesize data to generate insights, testing with key stakeholder, receiving buy in from senior leadership...

Two case studies demonstrate how the University of Calgary's Prospect Research 7 Pipeline team proactively support our frontline development directors, using data-driven, highly-collaborative, and effective PRPM strategies. Intended Audience: Intermediate, Experienced Key Learnings: How Prospect Research & Prospect Management can work together to support development work What pipeline data and metrics are essential to drive action How pipeline optimization and portfolio health checks promote collaboration and build trust