As the year comes to a close, this new series will highlight what our members have been most grateful for in this industry in 2019. We look forward to hearing about rock star co-workers, tools without which we would be lost, and experiences that will stay with us for years.

Apra-IL would like to express its gratefulness for its members who continually push us to provide better programming, introduce new ways to network, and find the best catering and happy hour spots around!

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This week's notes are provided by Amy Tibbs, Development Research Associate at the National Audubon Society and Apra-IL Secretary.

I am grateful that we can do our work from anywhere! Combined with an organization that supports flexible work arrangements, I am able to strike a healthy work/life balance because I can access the resources and databases and public information I need from any location with the internet.

There’s something so comforting to me that I work in a field where most of us are supporting “Good Work” – being at nonprofits, our work helps donors connect with ways to support: environmental conservation and the fight against climate change; programs and students in higher education; medical research and patient care; providing food for the hungry; supporting our communities; and so much more! Being a cog in the machine to improve the world around me feels pretty good at the end of the day.

I’m always grateful for the prospect research community. Whether people come to the field with a librarian, business, programming, or data analysis background or if they just landed here somehow (like a lot of us), the tie that binds us is that this group is smart and generous with their time and knowledge, and more often than not, we can find someone to help us with CRM insights, tips to navigate tricky software, finding tough-to-locate information on a prospect, or just simple brainstorming on how to communicate our findings effectively. And, of course, to commiserate on the challenges we all face every day.