VINO in Topsfield, MA
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
5:00PM - 7:00PM
267 Rowley Bridge Road
Topsfield, MA 01983
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
Join fellow colleagues for a networking VINO (Very Informal Networking Opportunity). This free event offers NEDRA members and other prospect development professionals a chance to meet and socialize. We’ll talk shop about donor research, prospect management, and/or anything of interest to attendees.
Alfalfa Farm Cellars is little over 20 miles north of Boston and is conveniently located off either I-95 or Route 1. Food is available for purchase by food truck or you can bring your own food.
Join us anytime from 5:00 to 7:00! NEDRA members and non-members are welcome, and feel free to bring your kids.
COST:
Registration is free and encouraged so we know you plan to attend! Food and drinks are self-sponsored.
Research Basics Bootcamp
Thursday, September 24, 2026, 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM ET
and
Friday, September 25, 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 University. She joined The Helen Brown Group in 2018 as a Consultant and was promoted to Senior Consultant in 2020. She became the Assistant Director, Research and Consulting in 2021 and in 2023 was promoted to her current role, Director, Research and Consulting. Michele has been a member of Apra International, NEDRA, Apra Florida, Apra Metro DC, and CARA. She served on the Apra International Curriculum Planning Committee and as the Social Media Chair, and as a member of the Programming Committee for Apra Metro DC. She currently serves on NEDRA’s Board of Directors, and Co-Chairs the NEDRA Mentorship Committee. She received her B.A. in creative writing from Florida State University and studied higher education leadership at California State University, Sacramento.
Dave Owens is a Principal Analyst at the Boston Children’s Hospital Trust, where he began his development career as a Prospect Researcher in 2001. Prior to his tenure at Boston Children’s Hospital, he worked in clinical administration at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in the departments of Pulmonary Care and Oncology. He received his M.A. degree in Political Science from Northeastern University, a B.A. degree in Philosophy and Public Policy from UMass/Boston, as well as an A.A. degree in Mathematics/Science from Cape Cod Community College. Dave has served on several NEDRA Committees, and has been a presenter at past NEDRA Conferences and Seminars in areas ranging from ADV filings to international research. He is currently a member of NEDRA’s Programming Committee.
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, September 11, 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.
POLICIES & PROCEDURES:
Registered attendees will receive a Zoom link to the program in question, including a password (if applicable).
One paid registration entitles the registrant to one viewing of the program in question. If it is determined that a registrant has shared their link with others, any such viewers will be removed from the Zoom meeting and blocked from reentry. Repeat violations of link sharing may result in temporary restriction from NEDRA programming registration.
DEADLINES:
Registration for this event closes on Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 5PM ET or when the event is full.
NEDRACon 2026 Encore Session #1 Capacity Ratings & Continuing Care Retirement Communities: Leaving the Fog Bank?
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
1:00PM- 2:00PM ET
Online
Learning Objectives:
PRESENTER:
Sarah Greenwald, Senior Prospect Research Associate for Philanthropic and Alumni Engagement at the University of Pittsburgh & UPMC
Sarah has her MA and fell into the field of Prospect Development in 2019 and has loved every minute since. Each of her professional experiences in education, nonprofit management, and government guide her work at the University of Pittsburgh & UPMC, where she effectively translates rigorous research into compelling messages for diverse audiences. Currently, she lives in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where she never gets tired of navigating the city's many bridges and hills!
$25 Members
$50 Non-Members
LOCATION:
This program will be held as a Zoom meeting. Attendees will receive a Zoom link a day before the event. The program will not be recorded.
Deadline for registration will be Monday, September 28 at 3PM.
Total Encore!
Package Rate for All Three NEDRACon 2026 Encore Sessions
Before registering, please note these sessions are intended to be enjoyed live and in the moment and will not be recorded.
Tuesday, September 29, 2026 1PM-2PM ET
Session description: https://nedra.wildapricot.org/event-6825757
NEDRACon 2026 Encore Session #2 Weeding the Data Jungle: How to Find Hidden Gems in Wealth Screening Results Thursday, October 1, 2026 1PM-2PM ETSession description: https://nedra.wildapricot.org/event-6823277
NEDRACon 2026 Encore Session #3 Smart Donor Research: Enhancing Due Diligence for Non-Constituent Donors Tuesday, October 6, 2026 2PM-3PM ET
Session description: https://nedra.wildapricot.org/event-6823309
$50 Members
$100 Non-Members
These programs will be held as a Zoom meeting. Attendees will receive a Zoom link a day before each event. The programs will not be recorded.
NEDRACon 2026 Encore Session #2 Weeding the Data Jungle: How to Find Hidden Gems in Wealth Screening Results
Thursday, October 1 2026
As fundraising shops prepare for campaigns and strategic growth, wealth screening has become a critical but often overwhelming tool. In fall 2025, Skidmore College conducted two large-scale screenings as part of campaign readiness: a DonorSearch screening of approximately 50,000 constituents and a ResearchPoint screening through Blackbaud Raiser’s Edge that returned demographic and predictive data on more than 100,000 active records. The result was an abundance of information, including DonorSearch tiers and numerous wealth demographics, ResearchPoint MGL, PGL, AGL, and Velocity scores, and a wide range of overlapping indicators intended to inform prospect strategy. With so many scores available, prospect management became more complicated rather than more effective. Prospect Research was increasingly relied upon to interpret the data rather than to enable frontline decision-making. This session shares how we moved from data overload to a simple, shared, and actionable framework by developing four clear and unbiased prospect quadrants: Champions, Hidden Gems, Loyalists, and Dormant. Rather than memorizing definitions of multiple external scores, staff could quickly see where prospects fell and what type of action was most appropriate. Prospect Research shifted from constant list management to higher-value strategy and partnership. Using slides, graphics, and real examples, this session will explore how to transform overwhelming wealth screening data into an intuitive, visual framework that helps teams find hidden gems, prioritize prospects, and empower gift officers to take action.
PRESENTERS:
Emily Marcason-Tolmie, Senior Director, Skidmore CollegeEmily has her MA and MFA and has worked in prospect development for nearly 20 years. She is an expert in prospect management, proactive and reactive research, analytical procedures, and trend forecasting, while focused on successfully building robust prospect pipelines, predictive donor modeling, and key fundraising metrics. Emily regularly gives presentations about prospect research and data visualization for APRA and AFP chapters around the country, as well as for the DonorSearch Philanthropy Mastermind series. Dedicated to the field of prospect research and management, Emily served on the APRA-NY board for several years, including as the chapter’s elected president throughout the COVID pandemic. It was under her leadership that the chapter grew into one of the most active in the nation. She is a graduate of St. Michael’s College in Colchester, Vermont, while also holding two master’s degrees from Southern New Hampshire University.
Taha Bhatti, Data Analyst, Skidmore College
In addition to being a Data Analyst, Taha is also a BI Developer at Skidmore College, where he builds reporting infrastructure and predictive models that help the institution make better use of its data. Outside of his institutional role, he works as a consultant in the AI space, developing custom tools and data-driven solutions for organizations looking to apply emerging technologies to real business problems. His interest in data and its practical applications traces back to his undergraduate years at Skidmore College, where he earned a double major in Business Management and Economics with a minor in Entrepreneurship. During that time he completed internships with HiveWorx and founded Ur Space, gaining hands-on experience in data analytics. He also partnered with a fellow student to place first in their track at the NYS Business Plan Competition in the Capital District, after finishing second overall in Skidmore’s Freirich Business Plan Competition.
Deadline for registration will be Wednesday, September 30 at 3PM.
NEDRACon 2026 Encore Session #3 Smart Donor Research: Enhancing Due Diligence for Non-Constituent Donors
Tuesday, October 6, 2025
2:00PM- 3:00PM ET
Lauren Woodring, Deputy Director, High Net Worth, Yale University
Lauren previously served as the Director of Prospect Research and Management at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. She started her fundraising career at the Kimmel Center for Performing Arts. She is a current board member of Apra International and a past president of Apra Pennsylvania. She serves on the development committee of North Light Community Center. Lauren lives in New Haven, CT and Philadelphia, PA. When not at work, she is either reading a book or caring too much about Philadelphia sports.
Jill Meister, Director, Prospect Development, Yale University
Jill has over 30 years of prospect development experience and she has held director level roles at multiple institutions. Her areas of focus and responsibility have included: advancement services and operations, prospect management, analytics, research, records management, reporting, annual fund, stewardship, and donor relations. Throughout her career she has been a part of eight capital campaigns. Jill is a former president of Apra, and a former president of NEDRA. Over the past 15 years, she has been involved with setting best practice and education for the profession. Jill has an MBA from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, and a BS in Management from Franklin Pierce University.
Soren Forsberg, Deputy Director, Due Diligence at Yale University
Soren has ten years of fundraising experience and took up his current role in December 2023. Soren attended college in his native Denmark and holds a Ph.D. in comparative literature from Yale.
Deadline for registration will be Monday, October 5 at 3PM.
© 2025 New England Development Research Association
Sitemap
