Associate Director, Prospect Development, Wayne State University

Industry: Higher Education

Years in position: 18 Years in industry: 21

Team size: 8 Fundraisers: 42

Organization structure: Centralized

Bio: Mary is a seasoned development professional with many years of experience in higher education; her current role is associate director of prospect development where she efficiently and effectively manages three prospect research analysts and provides proactive and reactive research to WSU development leadership and gift officers. Mary works collaboratively with the director of prospect development, additional prospect research and management colleagues, WSU leadership and the alumni and donor experience teams to provide briefing materials for university events. 

Areas of Expertise: Prospect research, prospect identification, training

Director of Prospect Research and Management, Eastern Michigan University Foundation

Industry: Higher Education
Years in position: 2           Years in industry: 5

Team size: 1                          Fundraisers: 10

Organization structure: Centralized in a separate foundation

Bio: Leila is the Director of Prospect Research and Management at the Eastern Michigan University Foundation. Her role involves conducting reactive and proactive research, identifying prospects and building a pipeline to support fundraising for all colleges and units, and holding regular portfolio review meetings with each of the fundraisers. Prior to coming to the EMU Foundation, she did prospect management at Wayne State University and prospect research at the University of Chicago Medicine. 

Areas of Expertise:  prospect research, prospect identification, portfolio management, board and committee candidate pipelines

Development Portfolio and Research Officer, Detroit Institute of Arts

Industry: Arts
Years in position: 4           Years in industry: 19 in nonprofits, 7 in prospect research

Team size: 1                           Fundraisers: 13

Organization structure: Centralized 

Bio: Frank is Development Portfolio and Research Officer at the Detroit Institute of Arts. His role includes prospect research and identification and prospect management. After a ten-year career in reference book publishing, Frank entered the nonprofit sector as a prospect researcher at Wayne State University. His later development work was mostly in annual giving, a role he held at the DIA before returning to the field of prospect research.

Areas of Expertise: prospect research, prospect identification, and prospect management 

Vice President, Research, GOBEL

Industry: Healthcare consulting
Years in position: 1           Years in industry: 7

Team size: 5                        Fundraisers: N/A

Organization structure: N/A

Bio: Jennifer Moody joined GOBEL in 2022 after a career with Henry Ford Health as their Manager of Research and Prospect Management. While in this role, she developed and implemented a prospect management program that streamlined major gift officer portfolios and increased fundraising efficiency. Prior to Henry Ford Health, she served as Research and Donor Stewardship Coordinator for The Henry Ford, an arts and culture organization, where she contributed to the launch of a $150 million comprehensive campaign. Jennifer is also active with Apra, serving as Chair of the Apra Fundamentals – Prospect Research and was previously a member of the Ethics & Compliance Committee. She is cowriting a chapter focused on pipeline management for the Researchers in Fundraising Best Practice Guide and Handbook for Prospect Research. Jennifer is certified in Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge Fundamentals and received her bachelor’s degree from Michigan State University. She resides in Wyandotte, Mich. 

Areas of Expertise: prospect identification, relationship management, project management, portfolio management and implementation 

Associate Director of Prospect Management, Western Michigan University

Industry: Higher Ed

Years in position: 2 Years in industry: 2

Team size: 1 Fundraisers: 20

Organization structure: Centralized

Bio: Beki Hodgman is the Associate Director of Prospect Management at Western Michigan University. She is responsible for the proactive management and activity tracking of the University’s advancement overall prospect portfolio. She serves to support the University by applying data analytics and managing prospect identification and assignment services to facilitate the movement of donors through the leadership, major, principal, and planned gift portfolios. 

Areas of Expertise: prospect identification, relationship management, project management, portfolio management and implementation

Prospect Researcher, Children's Defense Fund

Industry: Human & Social Services

Years in position: 2 Years in industry: 10

Team size: 1 Fundraisers: 4

Organization structure: Centralized

fundraising department, state offices with regional gift officers.

Bio: Jenn is the Prospect Research Manager in Institutional Advancement at Children's Defense Fund. CDF is headquartered in Washington DC with offices throughout the country, and Jenn works remotely from her home in Holland, MI. She is a member of JCI Michigan, the Grand Rapids Junior Chamber, and the Grand Rapids Jaycees Foundation, all of which she has served in various leadership roles.

Areas of Expertise: prospect research, portfolio management, training