Research Basics Bootcamp
Thursday, January 22, 2026, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM ET
and
Friday, January 23, 2026, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM ET
Online (Zoom Meeting)
Research Basics Bootcamp is a virtual program of instruction in the essentials of prospect research. This training is a must for those new to research or those who have had research added to their roles. No experience in the field is necessary to begin learning how to apply professional research methodologies. The program will cover such subjects as:
FACULTY:
Lisa Foster is the Director of Prospect Development at Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts. She is a Phillips Academy alumna and two of her four children are also alumni of the school. Lisa is a former member of the Board of Directors of NEDRA. Over the course of her term, she served as the Treasurer of the Board of Directors, Conference Co-Chair for two NEDRA Conferences, Secretary of the Board, and Co-Chair of various committees, including Scholarship and Programming. Lisa continues to serve on the NEDRA Programming and Nominating Committees and was the Co-Chair of the 2022 CASE Prospect Development Conference . Lisa served as a Director of the Haverhill Foundation for Excellence in Education for over twenty years and has also served as a director of the Haverhill Discovery Club Program.
Michele Borucki began her career in development in 2012 as a Development Analyst with the University of California, Berkeley Corporate and Foundation Relations team. She went on to serve as a Prospect Analyst at the University of California, Davis and then as a Senior Prospect Analyst at the George Washington
Michele received her B.A. in creative writing from Florida State University and studied higher education leadership at California State University, Sacramento.
Tara McMullen-King is Director of Research & Consulting at The Helen Brown Group, where she works with a team of consultants to provide prospect research, prospect management consulting, fundraising analytics, training, and due diligence research for nonprofit organizations across the country. She began her career in development in the early 2000s at Simmons College, where she ultimately went on to serve as Assistant Director of Prospect Research. Since that time, Tara has also worked as a Senior Research Analyst at MIT, as Associate Director of Prospect Management & Research at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and as Director of Development Research at Combined Jewish Philanthropies. She served on NEDRA’s board of directors from 2010-2016, and has served as a member of the Research Basics Bootcamp faculty since 2020. Tara has also been involved as a volunteer with Apra, previously serving stints on the Membership Committee, Chapters Committee, and Bylaws Task Force. In addition to her work in prospect development, she is also a professional wedding officiant in Salem, Massachusetts, and sits on the board of The Bridge at 211, a nonprofit organization working to transform a former church into a hub for arts and culture to serve the great Salem community.
NEDRA Member: $199
Non-Member* (New Member): $298
*Note: Non-member registration includes a full year of NEDRA membership. These memberships will be assigned on the last day of the course unless you waive the option by contacting office@nedra.org.
Scholarships are available for this program! Deadline to apply is Friday, January 9, 2026.
SCHEDULE:
Day 1:
9:00 AM Informal introductions/conversations
9:30 AM Program begins
1:00 PM – Program ends for Day 1
Day 2:
9:00 AM Program Begins
1:00 PM Program Concludes
Advance registration is required. The link to join the session will be emailed 1-2 days in advance.
Please add NEDRA.org to your trusted list of senders, contacts or address book to ensure that you don't miss any important details about this program.
DEADLINES:
Registration for this event closes on Tuesday, January 20th, 2026 at 5PM ET or when the event is full.
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