TOOLS

Last month’s Internet Prospector provided a short list of diverse listservs of possible interest to prospect researchers. This month, it’s an array of professional associations to get us thinking beyond our sometimes cramped and ill-lit research offices for new approaches. The listings are generic and don’t target particular fundraising interests like health care or social services.

If you don’t want to (or can’t afford to) join an association that tickles your fancy, then check out its Web page for helpful articles or to see if listserv membership is free.

If you are a member of an association that is not listed below or can think of others that could be helpful, please e-mail them to chrismildner @ yahoo.com.

CONTENTS:

• Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement
• New England Development Research Association
• The Alliance
• American Association of Grant Professionals
• Association of Fundraising Professionals
• Council for Advancement & Support of Education
• National Council on Planned Giving
• Grantmakers for Effective Organizations
• American Marketing Association
• Knowledge Management Consortium International
• The Association for Information Management Professionals
• Association of Independent Information Professionals
• Special Libraries Association

Our very own, listed first, naturally. APRA offers excellent learning and networking opportunities geared specifically for prospect researchers. PRSPCT-L, the researchers' listserv that APRA recently began administering, is free to members and non-members alike.

http://www.aprahome.org

You can also join a state or regional APRA Chapter. Find links to these great networking and educational organizations at:

http://www.aprahome.org/chapters/index.html

NEW ENGLAND DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH ASSOCIATION (NEDRA)

NEDRA, the oldest development research association in the U.S. -- and not affiliated with APRA -- has members who are experienced information professionals, novice researchers, fundraisers and managers of fundraising research departments. NEDRA has over 300 members throughout the United States and Canada, drawn from a variety of nonprofits. If you live in New England, keep checking the Web site for upcoming events (none are currently listed). Headlines and select articles from NEDRA News are available.

http://www.nedra.org

THE ALLIANCE

The Alliance for Nonprofit Management is "devoted to improving the management and governance capacity of nonprofits." If not you, maybe someone at your nonprofit should join?

http://www.allianceonline.org

AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF GRANT PROFESSIONALS (AAGP)

This small and relatively new organization "enhances the role of grant developers who work for public or private organizations . . . ."

http://www.grantprofessionals.org

ASSOCIATION OF FUNDRAISING PROFESSIONALS (AFP)

Training, networking and advocacy from "the standard-bearer for professionalism in fundraising."

http://www.afpnet.org

COUNCIL FOR ADVANCEMENT & SUPPORT OF EDUCATION (CASE)

"Providing education professionals in alumni relations, communications and development with essential tools to advance their institution."

http://www.case.org

NATIONAL COUNCIL ON PLANNED GIVING (NCPG)

"The mission of NCPG is to increase the quality and quantity of charitable planned gifts by serving as the voice and professional resource for the gift planning community."

http://www.ncpg.org

GRANTMAKERS FOR EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONS (GEO)

In 2001, GEO merged with the Grantmakers Evaluation Network. "GEO’s mission is to advance and expand organizational effectiveness practices in and by the philanthropic community." One of GEO’s membership forums is geared toward knowledge management.

http://www.geofunders.org/

AMERICAN MARKETING ASSOCIATION (AMA)

Find great ideas for getting and keeping a nonprofit in the public eye. Learn about branding, direct mail, Internet marketing, strategy development and more.

http://www.marketingpower.com/

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT CONSORTIUM INTERNATIONAL

If you are trying to make the information in your organization more timely, accurate, accessible and useful, take advantage of the free community membership.

http://www.kmci.org/

THE ASSOCIATION FOR INFORMATION MANAGEMENT PROFESSIONALS (ARMA)

"The mission of ARMA International is to provide education, research, and networking opportunities to information professionals, to enable them to use their skills and experience to leverage the value of records."

http://www.arma.org/

ASSOCIATION OF INDEPENDENT INFORMATION PROFESSIONALS (AIIP)

Here’s one for the freelancers among us. "Members are owners of firms providing such information-related services as online and manual research, document delivery, database design, library support, consulting, writing and publishing."

http://www.aiip.org/AboutAIIP/aboutaiip.html

SPECIAL LIBRARIES ASSOCIATION (SLA)

SLA is an international association of information resource experts who "collect, analyze, evaluate, package, and disseminate information to facilitate accurate decision-making." Hey, that's a researcher's job description!

http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/index.cfm

Chris Mildner

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