Our Mission: Insight | Philanthropy | Results

Apra DC-MD is the professional development and networking resource for DC-metro & Maryland-area fundraising professionals who harness information and data to drive philanthropy in the fields of Prospect Development and Research, Relationship Management, Data Science, Campaign Planning, Strategic Management, and more. Together, we provide cutting-edge educational and networking opportunities to our members and the greater fundraising community, establish and promote high professional standards and ethical guidelines, and advocate as a representative voice for our profession in Maryland.

Apra DC-MD is a recognized chapter of Apra International. 

For 30 years, Apra was an acronym. The “American Prospect Research Association” became the “Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement.” But we are more than the sum of those letters. Our members are fundraising professionals who drive their institutions' philanthropic missions through work in prospect development and research, relationship management, data science, campaign planning, strategic management and much much more. You can’t sum that up in four little letters.

So we had to become more than an acronym. There is great history in our name - a proud history we want to preserve. At Apra DC-MD, we adapt as our members continue to grow and evolve with the ever-changing field of philanthropy.

Apra DC-MD acknowledges the Indigenous Peoples whose traditional homeland is now the State of Maryland and the privilege enjoyed by white European settlers. These lands were once inhabited by the Algonquin, Iroquois, Siouan, and Susquehannock peoples. We recognize that the Indigenous Peoples who once lived in this region suffered from colonization, genocide, and cultural erasure, yet many descendants still remain and other Native communities have made Maryland their home.