Ohio Prospect Research Network Established 1987 - Apra Ohio Chapter
Cheryll McCarty, Prospect Management Analyst, Cleveland State University
What was your first nonprofit job?
Cleveland Metropark Zoo- Event planner
How did you get into fundraising and/or prospect research?
I have always been a fundraiser at heart. Every organization, whether it was for personal or work related, I was the first one to spear-head any fundraising needs of the organization. But my true passion is prospect research- I just love the prep work and strategy that goes into preparing a prospect for an ask by one of our professional fundraisers.
What’s a random fact you recently learned?
That Cleveland, OH has the same amount of rainfall as Seattle, WA: 38 inches of rainfall per year.
Favorite guilty pleasure?
Scrolling on Tik-Tok
What could you give a 40-minute presentation on with absolutely no preparation?
How to Plan an Event
What skill would you like to master?
Learn to play the cello (and to read music)
Who’s your go-to band or artist when you can’t decide on something to listen to?
Grateful Dead
Where’s the next place on your travel bucket list and why?
Finland- b/c my great grandmother was from there and I want to see the town she was born in.
How to Appear in More LinkedIn Searches - Job Hunt
Fundraising Statistics Every Nonprofit Should Know - iWave
Think Locally, Act Locally - The Agitator
Hybrid Competence is the Newest Soft Skill With an Outsize Impact on Your Career. Here's How You Can Work It Into Your Resume - Business Insider
Rodney Kirsch, GG&A - RAISE Podcast
Kim Rodstrom, Executive Director, Prospect Research & Portfolio Development, Kent State University
Honestly….a bit by accident. I worked in a marketing department for the first three years out of college and had the desire to work for my alma mater. Reaching out, I was connected with the VP of Advancement and my career in advancement was born, have worked in both prospect research and as a fundraiser.
When/where was your first Apra conference?
I have been in higher ed fundraising for 20 years in various capacities. However, I started in prospect research and learned so much from the professionals in the industry through APRA in the early 2000s. It was right around then that I attended my first conference.
How many hours do you get to the airport before a flight?
I suppose it depends on the airport but typically about 90 minutes early.
What is your favorite dessert?
Chocolate… in most any form but preferably in the form of multi-layer chocolate cake.
Would you rather have a personal chef, personal housekeeper, or personal chauffeur?
Personal housekeeper….I am a mom to teenagers…any help I can get would be great!
Uncommon Connections: A Preview of Thom Singer's PD Keynote Presentation - Apra Connections
Water Cooler Chat Replay: How to Analyze IRS Data - The Staupell Group
Releasing the Potential of Philanthropic Collaborations - The Bridgespan Group
R Basics - Everything You Need to Know to Get Started with R - Towards Data Science
Juliana Saneholtz, Prospect Research Analyst, Northern Kentucky University
I majored in music (viola performance) in undergrad. I was planning on being a professional orchestral musician, but soon realized that wasn’t for me. I also worked in the admissions office as a student worker and really enjoyed it. After graduation, I was trying to figure out where I would go from there and based on my interests, I figured working for either an arts organization or a university would be a good fit. Turns out, 2007 wasn’t a great time to be looking for a job, so I took a temp job working at Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) as a department assistant for the biochemistry department. I was eventually hired as a full time employee which opened a lot of doors to employment opportunities at CWRU. I was able to land a job working in the development office for the College of Arts and Sciences which happened to coincide with starting the Master’s of Non-profit Organizations program there. It was an incredible experience being able to directly apply what I was learning to my work. The rest, as they say, is history.
What do you listen to on your commute?
Almost exclusively NPR. It’s one of the only ways I can absorb the news without wanting to tear my hair out.
Would you rather have your dishes or clothes be magically clean?
Dishes. Hands down. It’s like they are never ending.
If you were so wealthy you didn’t need to work, what would you do with your time?
Grow an incredible native plant garden and vegetables/herbs, join a rowing club, go on long bike rides, take my daughter all over the country to see/ride on old trains, pick up the viola and piano again and maybe join a community orchestra or chamber group, volunteer for some of the local parks and environmental organizations, become active with the local arts center and work on a bunch of community art projects
Frogs shed their skin and then eat it. (Thanks, Ranger Rick!)
Credit Cards, and Now Crypto: One School's Path to Accepting Gifts of Cryptocurrency - Apra Connections
Real Donations in Virtual Currencies: Bitcoin and Beyond - Skystone Partners
Donor Data Matters: How to Rock Your Next CRM Implementation at Your Organization with Chris Campbell - We are for Good podcast
Reflecting on Narrative and Data - The Helen Brown Group
Navigating the Form 990 to Find Funding - Candid
7 Tricky Work Situations, and How to Respond to Them - HBR
Go Ask Jen: Factoring Rental Properties Into Gift/Capacity Ratings - Prospect Research Institute
Ask the Ethicist: Is a Photo Worth 1,000 Headaches? - Apra Connections
IP Explainer: What Is a Crowdfunding Platform? - Inside Philanthropy
3 Strategies for Dealing with Procrastination - HBR IdeaCast
Crypto Industry to Get Long Awaited Rules on Bitcoin Accounting - Bloomberg
Steal This Energizing Way to Shorten Meetings - Inc.
Candace Olley, Director, Prospect Development at the University of Cincinnati Foundation
●What was your first job?
I used to be an afterschool care aide/au pair for families in Memphis. Now I beg my coworkers and friends to let me babysit so I still get cute kid time and so they’ll teach me what’s hip and cool these days.
●What did you want to be when you grew up? Are you doing it?
I still don’t know what I want to be… is that a part of why we love PD work? Curiosity about all the things!
●What’s your favorite thing about what you do or where you work?
My team really is made of some of the best in the business! I love learning with and from them and “dreaming and scheming” every chance we get.
●When/where was your first Apra conference?
Circa 2015 in New Orleans! Still have the insta pics to prove it! Ha! Met some incredible colleagues who are still in PD making magic happen to this day.
●Is pineapple an acceptable pizza topping?
Oh 100%! I see Mike Ormiston looking to pair it with some other topping and I’d like to recommend pepperoni over ham.
Jen Nettles, Senior Prospect Development Manager, American Cancer Society, Inc.
What was your first job?
My first full time job was being a housekeeper for retired nuns. It was like going to work with 80 grandmothers every day! As my first job I also underappreciated the amazing benefits I had working there that I now look back on and think WOW!
What did you want to be when you grew up? Are you doing it?
I wanted to be a dentist. I am definitely not doing that but I am ok with that!
You mean everyone doesn’t grow up wanting to go into the prospect development field? I worked in the alumni/development office while getting my degree. Then I followed a co-worker to help with a screening project they had just done and instead took over the prospect research role.
What’s your favorite thing about what you do or where you work?
I love feeling like I am helping the greater cause of the organization. Having a co-worker go out of their way to thank you for helping them is priceless.
Vegas! I thought it was a great idea to do the New Researcher’s Symposium for a few days followed by the full conference right after. Talk about information overload!
What are you reading now?
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
I would love to be well versed in Lean Six Sigma.
I have no shame…my go to is for sure Celine Dion! Started at a young age and every once in a while I go back and just belt out the songs while driving alone (I pity anyone that actually has to hear me try to sing her songs).
Regina Alhassan, Owner, ResearchPRO
Lab Assistant for The Ohio State University Department of Animal Science assisting research studies on dairy cows. There was lots of lab work which aligned with my coursework and I absolutely loved it. There was also lots of field work, capturing bio samples live and in-person at dairy farms and the Select Sires bull farm. As a city girl, that was all very new to me and I didn’t enjoy the cow pastures so much. But, I have some great memories and amazing stories to tell!
Do you have any side hustles?
Does Motherhood count??
What piece of advice would you give to yourself at the beginning of your career?
Take the leap and believe that you can do anything you can imagine – and more.
I love working from the comfort of my home. And, I’ve invested in creating a workspace that suits my exact needs, wants, moods, and comforts. I enjoy that the remote nature of our work as prospect development professionals allows me to partner with organizations all over the United States. I’m able to select the causes, the missions, the leadership teams that I want to support. It’s so fulfilling and humbling to know that I’m contributing to real impact in an array of communities all over. That’s deeply satisfying.
I could give a presentation on how to launch and grow your own prospect development business from just a dream to a profitable enterprise. I’d share insights I learned, challenges I encountered, pitfalls to avoid, and best practices to align with success. I’m passionate about showing my prospect development colleagues how to take control of their income and career trajectory.
A Wealthy Girl by Charisse Conanan Johnson, CFA
Book Yourself Solid by Michael Port
In a few short weeks, my family is headed to a beach getaway in Virginia. The seven year old and I are literally counting the days and can hardly wait to spend a week with the ocean as our neighbor!
Replace this text with your copyright information and address.
"Place your organization name here" is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization. Michigan , P.O. Box 1234, South Lyon, MI 123456
