Here at Apra-IL, we are proud to have an extremely talented member community representing all sorts of organizations, industries, and areas of prospect research. With that in mind, we are kicking off a new feature called "Meet an Apra-IL Member", in which we interview a different individual from our member rolls every month.

This month, we are pleased to be featuring Stacey Brownlee, Prospect Development and Research Manager at Chicago Public Media and an Apra-IL member since 2019. Read on to learn more about Stacey!

1. Tell us a little bit about yourself and your role.

I’ve built a career out of answering the big question: Who wants to help, and how can we connect with them? I currently serve as Prospect Development and Research Manager at Chicago Public Media, the largest public media station in the country and home to WBEZ, the Chicago Sun-Times, and Vocalo.

In my role, I design prospecting strategies to connect fundraisers to generous people and organizations who share our commitment to strengthening independent journalism and storytelling in Chicago. I collaborate with colleagues across Major, Principal, and Institutional Gifts, lead prospect management meetings, and support our efforts with data analysis and reporting. I also lead CPM’s Development internship, mentoring university students eager to learn about nonprofit development and prospect research. Before this, I worked as a grant writer supporting early childhood education initiatives nationwide. A lawyer by training, I bring my love of research, storytelling, and strategy to everything I do.

2. What is the best career advice you’ve ever received?

Early in my nonprofit career, I was working as a grant writer and was invited to a get-to-know you lunch with a new executive who had just joined our organization. From the beginning, it was clear she cared deeply about developing her team not only to retain people, but to help them grow, even if that meant they might eventually outgrow the organization.

Over salads, she asked me what I love about my job. I told her that I loved the focus and solitude of writing. I mentioned that I enjoyed the kind of flow state I could achieve when writing or solving a problem that required deep focus.

She nodded and then said something that changed the course of my career: "We have to diversify revenue if we want to meet our campaign goals, and we’ll need someone to take the lead on prospect research."

She helped me see how my skills and interests could support our work in a new way, one I would not have identified for myself. That thoughtful moment, where she connected what I loved to what the organization needed, set me on a path that led to a fulfilling career in prospect development.

And that lunch was a master class in leadership: If you want to build great teams, don’t just ask people what they can do. Ask them what they love to do, then help them connect the dots.

3. Why is staying involved with Apra-IL important?

One of the reasons I stay involved with local associations like Apra-IL is because they make a difference, not just in our day-to-day work, but in the long-term growth of the profession. Local chapters provide space for connection, collaboration, and learning that is directly relevant to the work we’re doing in our own institutions and communities. They help us build stronger networks, share real-world strategies, and push the field forward together. Whether it's a roundtable, a workshop, or just an email thread, being part of a local group like this means you’re never working in isolation, and that’s powerful. 

4. What work of yours (or your team’s) from the past year are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of the fact that our team surpassed our FY25 revenue goal and grew the number of major donors by almost 23 percent year-over-year. That kind of growth speaks to more than just strong fundraising; it reflects meaningful relationship-building and supports our goal of long term sustainability. It means more people are deeply invested in our mission, and that gives us a stronger foundation for the future. It was a team effort and it’s been incredibly rewarding to see that kind of momentum build.

5. If you weren’t in prospect research, what career would you have?

Honestly? I think I would make a great private detective. There’s something about pulling threads and uncovering a story that really excites me. I love solving a puzzle, especially the moment when all the pieces finally come together, so if I were not doing this work in the nonprofit world, I imagine I’d still be out there investigating. Luckily, prospect development lets me embrace my inner detective and contribute to a meaningful mission, sans stakeouts. 

6. What book are you reading right now?

I just got back from Apra PD in Baltimore, where I finished A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan. Sharp, funny, a little like speed dating across fifty years, the story seems to have no single person at the center of the action, but somehow everything links up at the end in a satisfying way.

That line, “Time’s a goon, right?” made me laugh. Yeah, time is a goon, pushing us around, stealing our hours and days, and somehow aging our headshots overnight. It also gives us perspective, which makes for better stories. So while I'm keeping one eye on the clock, I'm still reading, exploring, and trying to give away my time in meaningful ways.