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February 18, 2021 By Helen Brown

Identity and Blackness in Prospect Development

This week we are pleased to welcome a guest author on The Intelligent Edge to share her (and others’) perspectives on identity and Blackness in our profession. You may know Joan Ogwumike as the author for the past four years of the blog, A Researcher’s Diary, but she is also the writer of the Apra-Illinois blog as well as Prospect Research Associate at the Obama Foundation. I’m  delighted and thankful that Joan said yes to carving out time to share these perspectives and advice with us.


Joan Ogwumike

Although small in number, Black prospect development professionals deserve an opportunity to share experiences and knowledge pertaining to diversity, inclusion and equity, wealth analysis, and ways this industry could grow.

I interviewed three Black prospect development professionals on their views and experience in our industry. The views they shared are not representative of every Black person’s experience or understanding of this industry, but they are valid and relatable to many. Due to the candidness, vulnerability and bravery to educate us, as readers and learners, those who have shared their reflections and experiences here have chosen to stay fairly anonymous.

It is important to recognize the voices of Black colleagues who have experienced stifling, bias, and distrust of their expertise and voice, just as it is important to recognize the voices of Black colleagues who have been welcomed and respected within their prospect development teams. This platform acknowledges both experiences and their validity.

To uncover the presence of identity and Blackness in Prospect Development, you must begin at the concept of presence. After a conversation with a Black colleague in the field, I was able to learn that there has been growth – over time, people of color were seeing this industry as a career option, and after decades you could spot 2 or 3 in a session at a conference. Is this exponential growth? Is this an ideal answer to presence? I think it’s a start, but it’s time for us to consider presence in our research and prospect pools.

Many Prospect Development professionals stepped up in 2020 to be better allies, more intentional, and started reading all the books and watching a lot of movies. My question to them is: will there be longevity in these efforts? In the year 2030 will there be a presence of equity and representation on your donor walls and annual reports?

When delving into identity, there is just so far to go. Identity is a multi-faceted and murky concept that is personal, central to lived-experiences, and complex. As prospect development professionals, to then analyze wealth and be the optimal fundraising professional, your identity can either be central to decision-making because you speak from a place of having a healthy relationship with money, or it can be compartmentalized to take the form of what you have learned from others’ experiences with money.

Blackness is a word loaded with more meaning than can ever be expressed in one article – differing in meaning for each Black person with a few commonalities and a particular thread called perseverance. The reality of Blackness is the double-edged sword it’s crafted from – a history and present-day saga full of bias, violence, pain, and discrimination; but with renewing hope, celebrating, redefining odds, attaining wealth and prescribing to freedom. Both extremes of this reality cut deeply into how society works, how we fundraise, and the ways in which we see each other.

The unique glimpses of race and identity within prospect development colleagues requires the experiences and statements below (and I would like to acknowledge the many others whose experience differs from those below that also require your attention). Therefore, as readers and learners, I urge you to please be attentive as you read what your colleagues have shared. And, be patient with yourself as you internalize the purpose, their message, and your understanding of words.

Viewing wealth beyond the historical limits and colorblind perspective.

In my youth, I didn’t think much about race, so my identity as I saw it, was simply tied to my own “nerdy” pursuits. As I matured, I began to understand that race is not biological and that race and identity cannot be separated. Identity is not only how we see ourselves but also how others see us, so the perception of race is pertinent. This was always true whether I understood it or not. Looking back on my early life has been both challenging and illuminating, but it has helped me share experiences that hopefully inform others on how race shapes identity.

My understanding of prospect development has always been shaped by two attributes: wealth (who has it and how much) and affinity (will they donate to our organization). Race seemed less important through that lens, so that was reflected in my work. Now, it’s clear that the old approach and the infrastructure built from a colorblind perspective will only surface the same narrow pools of people. The challenge for us is attempting to view wealth beyond the historical limits we’ve created and to build on the knowledge of those who have provided ongoing scholarship on the subject of race and wealth.

Advice: I understand that, as researchers, we’re always looking to find answers quickly, but in this case, patience and perseverance are required. We simply have to make time for change in our work and in our lives.

-K., Senior Research Associate

The presence of being the “only,” and advocating for “many.”

From undergraduate studies, to graduate school, to joining the workforce – I’ve always been the only. The only Black girl in the class or on the Development team or Board member. At a point I realized and owned my only-ness, as sad as the truth is. But I realized being the only mattered when a Black woman approached me in Los Angeles, several years ago, and told me that the fact that I was teaching the importance of prospect research, as a Black researcher, meant a lot to her. Seeing me, meant a lot to her because there wasn’t a lot of us.

To be honest, I was taken aback by this because I was just doing my job and passion, and obviously compartmentalizing the most crucial layer of my being. Who knew seeing me would mean something? So, I am eternally grateful to her for the reminder and for giving me the pivotal message (and gift) that what I represent matters. My presence in the field not only matters physically but also adds to how I generate prospects who I unequivocally know have potential and capacity beyond their race and external biases. I analyze wealth knowing that it can and is attained by people who look like me, however, we need to strive to do the work and include them. Instead of holding on to Oprah, Michael Jordan, Robert Smith – the only names we seem to know.

We need to create a crowd.

Prospecting Advice: Set a date, set a time, block out a chunk of time in your calendar – whatever you need to do, and prospect based on publicly available lists. This is intentional work.

-J., Prospect Research Associate

Your perceptions on identity and race can come with consequences.

Identity is who I am, which has been shaped by my experiences over time, but is independent of how people perceive me. And I am many things, but my identification as a Black woman – specifically – is more a political affirmation than racial identity. I think identity plays a role in every person’s work, no matter how they identify. Personally, it plays a bigger role when employed at predominantly white institutions (PWIs) and fluctuates according the cultural competency of my colleagues.

I still use the word race a lot because of convention, but I prefer “racial designation” or “racecraft.” The distinction is important because it reminds us that race is an ideology that people subject others to; race can’t cause or explain anything. Practices, policies and laws informed by racial ideology cause and explain conditions and outcomes. In other words, nothing can happen to me because I am Black. But many things can happen to me because people categorize me as Black, and their perceptions of Blackness come with consequences they may or may not be aware of.

Every organization and institution engaged in fundraising is materially influenced by racial ideology in some way. As I spend more of my professional time and energy on diversity, equity, and inclusion work, I have more occasion to give voice to my thoughts and put them into action. Bridging the gaps between prospect research, prospect development, and prospect engagement is of particular interest because fundraising success relies on proficiency in all three.

Encouragement: Everybody should consider race and identity in their daily work, not just when it’s on the agenda for a staff retreat or HR training.

-R., Director of Prospect Research

 

 

Filed Under: Career development, Non-profit trends Tagged With: Joan Ogwumike

July 23, 2020 By Helen Brown

The other side of furlough

I’ve been watching the nonprofit space with increasing concern lately, hearing stories of colleagues – friends – getting laid off or placed on furlough, or under the cloud of potential furlough. Considering what’s happening, I know objectively that in some cases it’s the only logical financial decision some charities can make, but it’s still a constant heartache. I know that many colleagues will come out of this just fine – or maybe even better – in the long run, but in the moment it can be hard to summon hope. That’s why I wanted to make sure you saw this article from Apra-IL’s blog written by Joan Ogwumike and Beth Inman. It’s more than just a journey story – Beth shares great perspective and practical coping techniques, too. Thank you to Joan, Beth, and Apra-IL for granting permission for your article to be re-shared here. ~Helen


Joan: Hi Beth, can you share with our readers where you believe your heart and mind is right now?

Beth: Name an emotion and I’ve felt it over the past few months. Worried, scared, angry, optimistic, hopeful, to name just a few. Right now, I’m feeling grateful and my heart and mind are in a good place considering all the changes over the past couple of months (being furloughed, long distance move, and starting a new job). I’m grateful for my fantastic new job opportunity and for our prospect development community which has been so supportive. I have received emails, texts, and dm’s checking in, and those gestures have made a huge difference in keeping my spirits high. 

Thank you for mentioning the prospect development community, can you share why community matters (you state that their outreach made a huge difference in keeping your spirits high) can you share more on that?

Community matters because it’s important to have a connection. That connection could be familial, professional, spiritual, etc. but it’s that connection or being a part of something that contributes to our overall sense of wellbeing. Our prospect development community on Twitter, for example, is so interesting because I’ve only met a handful of them in person. That said, I know they’re there when I’m frustrated about our work and I also know they’re there when we’re going through something like COVID and it’s affecting all of us in some way. Even when the “there” is virtual, it’s still so helpful!

Where would you say your heart and mind were as you waited to find out your furlough status?

Some days I was sure I would be furloughed and other days, I had a glimmer of hope that the work I was doing was important enough to not be furloughed. We knew a week ahead of time that furloughs were coming but we had no idea how many staff would be affected or what criteria would be used to determine who would be impacted. That was a really long week. That level of worry is exhausting and it affects every aspect of your life. 

As many are going through this exact situation, what can you say matters?

2020 has been a rough year for everyone and we have all had very different experiences related to COVID-19 and its effects on our industry, our communities, and our families. I am a planner and I am a worrier so the past 5-6 months have been really tough for me. What I’ve realized is that I spend a lot of time worrying about things I don’t have any control over and asking for help is OK.  What matters to me right now is understanding that it’s alright to not have a plan and to recognize when I should ask for help – that I don’t have to do it all myself. 

I believe you just spoke to so many of us who are planners and worriers, to break away from this ingrained piece of us would be difficult, how are you doing it? Is this a process or an overnight shift?

Oh, it’s definitely a process and one that I have to consciously work on! My therapist has helped me with ways to counter my worrisome thoughts when I start to go down that “what if” rabbit hole and it takes practice to do that, but it’s worth it. One of things I learned is to counter a negative thought with a positive one. This helps me think about the different ways a situation could go and options I need to consider. For example, when I was worrying with thoughts that “my house wouldn’t sell”, I flipped it and asked, “what if the house sells,” that helped me think about what I’ll need to do when it sells.

Ever since the quarantine started many have shared advice on working from home, and ways to stay busy and productive aside from their work; what did you do to keep yourself whole, sane, and happy?

For me, once I learned I was furloughed, I made a to do list and came up with a schedule (albeit a not very structured one) for the weekdays, which was really helpful. I had been working full time for 20+ years so to learn on a Thursday that I was no longer working was a really odd and scary feeling. I kept thinking, “what am I going to do?” That’s where the to do list and schedule came in. They helped me structure my day in a way that helped me stay on track and feel like I had some control over the day. My to do list was everything from clean out the pantry to exercising to reviewing my resume and even what Netflix shows I wanted to watch. When I made the schedule, I wanted to start the day doing something that made me happy which was drinking coffee and reading. (I have read a lot over the past few months and if you need any book recommendations, let me know!)  

Do you have any advice for people experiencing the fear of being furloughed?

In talking to friends and colleagues about furloughs, I have learned that organizations have handled their furloughs differently. For example, some organizations continue to keep in touch with their furloughed employees; they are part of regular meetings and they are provided updates on their furlough status. This was not my experience, so my advice is to think about questions to ask your supervisor if you are furloughed. For example, how will the organization communicate with those who are furloughed? Will you have access to your files/emails/intranet (your org’s HR site, for example)? If you’re going to file for unemployment, it wouldn’t hurt to research what you will need to apply in your state so you have an idea of what to prepare. In some cases, it can take weeks for the benefits to kick in, so filing sooner rather than later is a good idea. 

Now is also a good time to review your resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn profile and make sure it’s up to date. If you decide to start a job search, it’s good to have these documents in their best shape. And, if you start applying for positions, reach out to your references to confirm they’re still willing to be a reference and give them a heads up if you learn an organization is contacting your references. If you use your work email for Apra and other professional listservs, make sure you update it to your personal email to ensure you continue to get important information.

And, finally, practice self-care and utilize the Apra community! Self-care looks different for everyone but it’s so important! The Apra community is helpful and compassionate and we want to see our colleagues succeed. 


Thank you again, Joan and Beth. Dear readers, do you have any advice to share? Please share in the comments .

Filed Under: Career development, News Tagged With: Apra-IL, Beth Inman, career advice, furlough, Joan Ogwumike

March 1, 2017 By Helen Brown

This is Pride

For the past two years, I’ve gotten more and more excited as March approaches. Here in New England, March is not a month that you tend to look forward to, weather-wise. There are no bank holiday weekends. And it’s a loooong month. But if you’re in prospect development, March is now a very special month.

Because March is prospect development pride month, and boy do we have a lot to be proud of. We are a professional community of really smart people who get the opportunity to make the world a better place every day we go to work. Who are actively motivated to learn something new every day. And who are generous in sharing tips, methods, and resources with each other. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Career development, News, Research Department Success Tagged With: #ResearchPride, Amelia Aldred, Crystal Leochko Johnston, Danny Feygin, David Schein, Elisa Shoenberger, Elizabeth Crabtree, Erin Gernon, Estee Pierce, iWave PRO, James Rygg, Jen Filla, Jennifer Vincent, Joan Ogwumike, Kate Ingrao, Lindsey Nadeau, Marianne Pelletier, Matt Farrow, Preeti Gill, prospect development, prospect research, Sabine Schuller, Sarah Bernstein, Sharon Parkinson, Stephen Lambert

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David’s career in prospect research began in 2009, as a graduate research assistant at the Shippensburg University Foundation. In 2011, He became a development researcher for the University of Virginia. In 2015, David became assistant director of prospect research at the University of Baltimore, serving for 3 years. Recently, he was the director of development for Trees Forever. David Joined the Helen Brown Group as a research assistant in January 2020. He earned a B.A. in Theater at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and a M.A. in Applied History at Shippensburg University. David is a member of APRA and APRA Great Plains.

Kenny has worked in development since 1999 and has been involved in prospect research since 2002.

Prior to joining The Helen Brown Group, he was the director of donor and prospect research at the United Way of Massachusetts Bay. Kenny is a member of APRA and NEDRA.

Tara first began her career in development in 2002 supporting the Major Gifts department at Simmons College, and ultimately went on to serve as Assistant Director of Prospect Research. Since that time, she has also worked as a Senior Research Analyst at MIT, as Associate Director of Prospect Management and Research at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and as Director of Development Research at Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP).

Tara originally joined the Helen Brown Group team in 2007 and served as a Research Associate and ShareTraining coordinator until 2008 – she rejoined the company as a Senior Researcher in 2013 and was promoted to her current role in 2018.

She has been an active volunteer with NEDRA for many years and served on the board of directors from 2010-2016. During her time on the NEDRA board, she served in many different roles, including terms as Vice President, Secretary, Chair of the Website and Technology Committee, Chair of the Volunteer Committee, and as Chair and Editor of NEDRA News. She is currently a member of the NEDRA Bootcamp faculty. In addition, Tara has also been involved as a volunteer with Apra, serving stints on the Membership Committee, Chapters Committee, and Bylaws Task Force.

Angie began her career in development in 1999 at Virginia Tech in Corporate and Foundation Relations and later in prospect research at the University of Connecticut Foundation.

A graduate of the University of Tennessee at Martin, her experience includes grants management at the University of South Carolina, program evaluation for South Carolina Research Authority and human resources analysis for Nissan North America.

She returned to development in 2007 and worked in various prospect research positions at Vanderbilt University, including Associate Director. She was named Director for Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s research office in 2015, and joined The Helen Brown Group in 2016.

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Josh began his career in development as the Phonathon Coordinator at Keene State College. He then worked at non-profit consulting firm Schultz & Williams in Philadelphia.

He started his research career at the University of Pennsylvania as a Research Assistant in 2005. He then moved over to the Wharton School of Business, where he became the Associate Director, Research and Prospect Management. Josh joined the Helen Brown Group in 2016.

Josh is also a Colorado licensed Realtor and graduate of Lehigh University.

In March 2017, Kristina joined the Helen Brown Group as a Research Associate. Before joining HBG, she was the Research Manager at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and an Associate Manager of Prospect Research at City Harvest, a food rescue organization. Kristina started her non-profit career as a legal assistant at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2004.  She is a member of Apra and Apra Greater New York. She was Apra Greater New York’s Director of Programming from June 2014 to May 2016. Kristina graduated from The University of Chicago and the Bard Graduate Center.

Grace began her career in development in 2001 as Executive Assistant to the Chief Development Officer with Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH), a Harvard Medical School-affiliated academic medical center.

In 2003, she became a prospect researcher for the BWH principal and major gifts team and spent the next 11 years in various research positions with BWH, culminating as Assistant Director of Prospect Research. She has been affiliated with The Helen Brown Group since January 2014.

Heather began her career in 2002 as a prospect research coordinator for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and then moved to Carroll College in 2004.

In 2005, Heather began working on her own as a freelancer and eventually started her own consulting firm, Willis Research Services, in 2007. She joined The Helen Brown Group in 2012.

Heather is a member of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement and the Montana Nonprofit Association.

Jennifer began her career in development at her alma mater, Wheaton College, where she was an administrative assistant for the major gifts department.

She joined The Helen Brown Group in March 2008. She earned a master’s degree in library science from the Southern Connecticut State University in May 2009. Jennifer is a member of APRA and NEDRA.

Rick has been a member of the Helen Brown Group team since 2005. Prior to joining HBG, Rick was director of research at St. Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire. Rick has worked in development since 1996, both in prospect research and major gifts fund raising. His experience includes the University of Vermont, Phillips Exeter Academy and St. Paul’s School.

Rick is past president of NEDRA and is a member of and frequent volunteer for APRA.

Josh began his career in development as the Phonathon Coordinator at Keene State College. He then worked at non-profit consulting firm Schultz & Williams in Philadelphia.

He started his research career at the University of Pennsylvania as a Research Assistant in 2005. He then moved over to the Wharton School of Business, where he became the Associate Director, Research and Prospect Management. Josh joined the Helen Brown Group in 2016.

Josh is also a Colorado licensed Realtor and graduate of Lehigh University.

Mandi has worked in prospect research and management since 2006. She began her development career as a research analyst in development research at City of Hope, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center in Los Angeles. From there, she became the manager of prospect development at Huntington Memorial Hospital, a community hospital in Pasadena, CA. Most recently, she was the associate director of prospect research and management at Occidental College, a private liberal arts college in LA.

Mandi has a BA degree in print journalism from Southern Methodist University and a master’s degree of library and information science from UCLA.

She joined the Helen Brown Group in May 2019.

Kelly began her career in development in 2008 as an administrative assistant in Major Gifts at Wheaton College.

In 2010, she became a research analyst at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in the Division of Development & Jimmy Fund as part of the prospect identification team. Kelly joined The Helen Brown Group in 2013.

She is a member of APRA and NEDRA.

Jayme began her career in development in 2008 at the Rutgers University Foundation, where she spent the next seven years, first in prospect management and then prospect research. She spent several years at Monmouth University as their senior prospect research analyst, working with the fundraising staff, university president, and top leadership. She has worked as both a volunteer and consultant for non-profits in the areas of research and writing.

She earned a bachelor of arts degree from Drew University and a master of communication and information sciences from Rutgers University. She is a member of APRA.

Jayme joined The Helen Brown Group in April 2019.

Julie has managed finances for The Helen Brown Group since its founding.

In her spare time, she is an editor for the PBS series Masterpiece at WGBH. Julie was nominated twice for an Emmy award for her work on the PBS show Zoom.

Heather began her career in development in 2001 as a prospect researcher for National Wildlife Federation (NWF). She was with NWF for more than thirteen years, including nearly five years as director of research and analytics. Heather is a former secretary of the board of directors of APRA-Metro DC.

She joined The Helen Brown Group in October 2014.

David began his career in development at The Gunnery school in northwest Connecticut in 2011, where he worked in database management and prospect research. Subsequently, he joined the College of Saint Rose as a development research analyst before leading Albany Medical Center Foundation’s prospect research efforts as Associate Director of Prospect Research. He has a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Siena College and is a member of APRA and CASE.

Michele began her career in development in 2012 when she joined the UC Berkeley corporate and foundation relations team as a development analyst. She spent a year and a half at Cal before returning to UC Davis as a prospect analyst. She was with the prospect management and relations team at UC Davis for almost three years prior to joining the research and relationship management team at George Washington University as a Senior Prospect Analyst in 2016.

Michele received her BA in creative writing from Florida State University and her MA in higher education leadership from CSU Sacramento. She currently resides in Northern Virginia, is a member of Apra International, and serves as the social media chair for Apra Metro DC. Michele joined The Helen Brown Group in July 2018.

Angie has worked in development since 2002, partnering with a wide range of nonprofit institutions. She began her professional career at Vanderbilt University in research and prospect development.

She has also worked with a number of community nonprofits in front-line fundraising, grant-writing, and event management. Angie holds an MPA in Nonprofit Management from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy and a BS in Journalism from Middle Tennessee State University. She resides in Nashville, Tennessee, and is a member of AFP Nashville and APRA MidSouth, where she has been active on the executive team.

She joined The Helen Brown Group in October 2015.

Maureen has been a part of the non-profit world since 1991. She started out in annual giving at Harvard Law School and continued her career as director of annual/special gifts at UC Santa Cruz.

In 1999 she made the switch from front-line fundraising to serve as director of prospect research/management at Bentley University and in 2001 began her role as administrator for the North American Foundation for the University of Manchester. She became part of the HBG team in September of 2011.

Helen has been a development professional since 1987. Her previous experience includes The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the Albert Einstein Institution, Boston College, the Harvard School of Public Health and Northeastern University.

Currently she works with a variety of clients to establish, benchmark and re-align research departments; identify major gift prospects; and train researchers and other fundraisers through on-site and web-based training services.Helen is a former member of the board of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA) and is past president of the New England Development Research Association (NEDRA). In 2006 she received the NEDRA Ann Castle Award for service to the prospect research community.

Helen is Special Advisor on Fundraising to the North American Foundation for the University of Manchester and is a member of the board of directors of Factary Ltd. (Bristol, UK). She is a member of NEDRA, APRA, the Association of Independent Information Professionals (AIIP), Women In Development, the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and Researchers in Fundraising (UK).

Helen is a frequent speaker and has led seminars for a number of professional associations, including Action Planning, AFP, APRA, the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), NEDRA, RIF, the Planned Giving Council of Central Massachusetts, the Georgia Center on Nonprofits, the International Fundraising Congress and Resource Alliance.

Helen is also co-author (with Jen Filla) of the book, Prospect Research for Fundraisers (Wiley & Sons, 2013).