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2008 CONFERENCE(S)

It’s Time for a “Researcher’s FALL BREAK!”

David Lamb and Christina Pulawski to speak at PREP/APRA’s Fall Conference

“Full participation in PREP/APRA Fall Conference is applicable for 6.25 points in
Category 1.B – Education of the CFRE International application for initial certification and/or recertification.”

This year’s PREP/APRA Fall Conference is shaping up to be our best conference ever—so much so that we have scheduled it as a two-day event! It will be held from October 29 and 30, 2008, at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pa. David Lamb and Christina Pulawski, two well-known names in the world of prospect research, will be the featured speakers.
Cost for this information-packed conference is only $65 for members and $115 for non-members. An additional $15 for members and $25 for non-members will reserve your “spot” at the October 29th dinner social at Rosa Rosa (http://www.rosarosaristoranteitaliano.com/)

On Wednesday, October 29, Pulawski will speak on “Advancing the Profile and Relevance of Research.” This session we’ll address managing a research department’s image and full capabilities and services to our clients, whether your “department” is just you or a team of several people. This involves looking at everything we do – including the basics of how we analyze and present the information we find, ensuring it’s communicated in a way that’s relevant to our clients. We will also take a hard look at exactly what we do day-to-day, and how transparent our roles are to those with whom we work. And since effective advocacy for the research shop ALWAYS involves collecting and maintaining data that connects the research unit’s day-to-day work to the organization’s larger mission and needs, we’ll look at what we can track, measure, and how to use that information.

Lamb, will present “Brother can you spare a million dollars?  Fundraising and prospect research in a down economy” on Thursday, October 30. When the stock market is up and the economy is booming, nonprofits often prosper with the rest of society.  But when the economy turns sour and unemployment goes up, charitable giving usually follows the downward trend of the market.  But there are some things that nonprofits can do to help them weather the economic storm.  This session will explore the prospect research and fundraising strategies that will help your nonprofit remain afloat in hard times.
David Lamb has been a prospect researcher since 1989. He has served as the Director of Prospect Research at the University of Washington and Santa Clara University. He is a Prospect Research Consultant with Blackbaud (www.blackbaud.com), a provider of fundraising software, custom data modeling and prospect research services. He holds a bachelor's degree in Sociology from Sterling College (Sterling, Kansas), a master's in Sociology from Wichita State University, and a master's in Divinity from San Francisco Theological Seminary. He is a frequent speaker at professional conferences, including those sponsored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) and the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA). In 1997 he received APRA's Service Award for outstanding service to the profession and in 2001 he was awarded the CASE's Steuben Apple award for excellence in teaching. His Prospect Research Page (www.lambresearch.com) is a trusted and popular resource among prospect researchers.

Christina Pulawski is an independent consultant specializing in development research, prospect management and information flow for fund raising. Previously, she was Director of Development and Donor Services at Loyola University Chicago, overseeing the areas of research, prospect management, data management, systems, and stewardship. Prior to joining Loyola, she was Director of Development Research at Northwestern University from 1994-2003, which earned “top research shop” distinction under her direction. A Chicago native, Christina earned a BA in Political Science from Northwestern and a JD from the University of Illinois. She is admitted to practice in Illinois and practiced in the fields of real estate and litigation before taking the opportunity to explore development in 1991.

Christina completed a six-year term on the board of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA), serving as Vice President for Education and Professional Development and Secretary-Treasurer. She chaired APRA's International Conferences in 1999, 2001 and 2002, developed APRA’s Boot Camp and other symposia, and received the organization’s Distinguished Service Award in 2005. She has also served as President of APRA's Illinois Chapter. She co-chaired CASE's 1999 and 2000 Development Researcher conferences, earned CASE “faculty star” distinction several times, and has frequently published, presented, and consulted on the field of prospect research and advancement services for APRA, CASE, Indiana University Center on Philanthropy, AFP, other public and private organizations and non-profit education and management programs.

How to Get There…

The conference will be held in the Booth-Ferris room on the second floor of the Steinman College Center in the center of the F & M campus; recommended parking is west of College Square, Race Avenue entrance, near the turf field, then walk across the footbridge across Harrisburg Avenue  to Steinman College Center.  Handicapped parking is available in Williamson Lot, close to Steinman College Center.
Trains:  the campus is within 2 miles of the Lancaster Train station, with service to/from Philadelphia; there are taxis to/from the train station.
Visit http://www.fandm.edu/x1978.xml for directions to the college. Parking information can be found at http://www.fandm.edu/x1981.xml.

…Where to Stay

A block of rooms has been reserved for Wednesday, October 29, at the Eden Resort Inn & Suites in Lancaster for $99.95/night plus tax and service charges. A reservation can be made online or by phone.
To reserve on line: Go to http://www.edenresort.com. Click on “reserve now”, group reservations.  The group name is PREP/APRA and the number is 475336. Follow the prompts to make your reservation and get your confirmation number.
To reserve by phone: Call 717-569-6444. Specify the name of the group or group number (see above).

 …and How to Pay

NEW THIS YEAR! Now you can pay online using a credit card. Go to http://prepapra.org/conference_registration.php, complete the registration form, and enter your payment information. Easy as 1…2…3!

The Schedule