Anna Sheehan

I attribute my success mainly to partnerships and collaborations with many talented fundraisers, leaders, and mentors that I have had the pleasure of working with throughout my career. I entered prospect development at an early stage of the profession's expansion, learning from some of our innovative founders and trailblazers. I was able to grow and expand my skill set along the way, adapting to new technological advances in nonprofit fundraising systems, perfecting data-driven decision making through research, analysis and reporting, and ensuring a commitment to data integrity. I have also been able to give back to our profession through membership and involvement with APRA, including being a speaker and presenter at multiple conferences and events over the years. 

"When presenting or delivering prospect research, data insights, and/or recommendations, don't bury the headline."

Our profession is so data intensive, though we support fundraisers and leaders who aren't always as interested as we are in what is behind the scenes and all the nitty gritty. Support the front-line fundraisers by sharing the most relevant information and insights to help them build relationships with potential prospects and develop the right solicitation strategy. Don't distract them or overwhelm them with too many insignificant details. This helps build strong partnerships and puts you in the position of 'strategy advisor' as opposed to 'data provider'.

Absorb as much as you can from webinars, white papers, conferences, and industry leaders. It takes some time to consider yourself an 'expert', and your credibly and input will be so much more impactful if you take the time to do it right and learn from others.

Always have the data to support your recommendations and suggestions; don't rely on perceptions or perceived notions.

Don't be afraid to add a new aspect or responsibility to your role (without being asked to do so). For example, I used to be very hesitant to be involved with any sort of financial reporting (progress against goals, KPI tracking); I didn't think I was "numbers" person. I challenged myself to learn more about this area, took some online training, and really embraced this kind of work. Not only did this fill a void that was needed by my leadership, it gave me an opportunity to learn a new skill set and contribute even more to fundraising success.

Lastly, if PD and/or data management policies and procedure documents don't already exists at your organization, create them yourself (with team collaboration and input), enforce them and stick to them, while being open to potential adjustments occasionally to align with priorities and staff.

Challenges: With recent federal funding cuts to nonprofits, many organizations are struggling to maintain their fundraising goals and having to make difficult decisions in terms of staffing and budget. All too often, these cuts are made to internal fundraising staff (as opposed to frontline fundraisers and/or executives) like development services, when in fact, this is when they need us the most! They'll need to find new private funding sources and we can play a critical part in identifying and cultivating these new potential opportunities.

Opportunities: This is a perfect time to exhibit the true value of prospect development professionals, our unique impact and role(s), make the case for expanding our roles to include more strategic job duties, and rebrand ourselves if need be. APRA has an abundance of some great resources that can help us do this and 'make the case' for more expansive PD duties. We can also cross-train with other departments to help 'fill the gap' and more importantly, help our organizations reimagine the structure to become more collaborative partners.

Most important to me in my work is having leadership team members who are transparent, flexible and open to new ideas, and advocates for PD at the executive level. Also, I always want to be learning and growing, so professional development opportunities are key to this. In my personal life, having the support and encouragement of my friends, partner, and family is vital to maintaining a work-life balance and keeping me grounded.