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• Apra-IL Webinar: Everything You’ve Ever Needed to Know About Proposal Forecasting

  • When
    Thu, November 13, 2025
  •  
    12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
  • Location
    Zoom
  • Registered
    7 registrants

  Register

  Apra-IL Webinar: Everything You’ve Ever Needed to Know About Proposal Forecasting

  Like clockwork, just about every fundraising organization large or small must answer some version of the “What’s in our pipeline?” or “How much are we going to raise?” question during the year. But while the use of predictive prospect scoring models has become industry commonplace in recent years, similar efforts for proposal pipeline forecasting have seemingly lagged in adoption. Even many otherwise robust and forward-thinking organizations still rely on gut feel and “back-of-the-napkin math” to set their yearly dollars raised target and evaluate their gift officers’ proposal activity. In an industry where most teams live or die by meeting their fundraising goal for the year, how can organizations harness their data to create more accurate pipeline forecasts?

  This presentation will detail one fundraising professional’s work to develop a machine learning system for predicting which proposals are likely to close, and how much an organization can expect to raise for the year based on its existing pipeline. It will introduce attendees to the data science process, explain the fundamentals of two common machine learning approaches in classification modeling and decision trees, and propose two new gift pipeline metrics: Proposal Probability, and Estimated Time-to-Close. Along the way, it will present several statistical findings on proposal outcomes that even non-technical shops and professionals can use to inform their own forecasting systems, pipeline metrics, and portfolio review programs.

  If you’ve ever found yourself wondering “How much can we expect to get from our current pipeline?”, “Why did those two major gift proposals have totally different outcomes?”, and “Which proposals are actually going to close this year?”, this presentation is for you.

  
  

  Speaker Bio: 

  Andrew Gutierrez is a fundraising professional and data scientist who has worked primarily in the healthcare philanthropy space since 2018, having held roles such as Data Scientist and Systems Analyst at Cleveland Clinic’s Philanthropy Institute, and Associate Director of Development Operations at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine. Originally beginning his philanthropy career as a grant writer before transitioning to analytics, his work now primarily focuses on using predictive modeling to identify and segment prospects, quantify donors’ capacity and affinity, and project gift revenue outcomes.

  Andrew has been the Vice President of Apra’s Illinois chapter since 2025, and he is also a member of the Association for Advancement Services Professionals’ (aasp) Education Committee. He has presented at industry events such as the Midwest “Meeting of the Minds” Annual Giving and Advancement Services Conference, the aasp’s Summer Deep Dive Webinar Series, and the Texas Advancement Analytics Symposium, and his writing has appeared in publications such as Apra Connections and the University of Texas Press’s Journal of Advancement Analytics.

  Andrew graduated from Ohio State University with an undergraduate degree in Arts Administration & Policy. Outside of the philanthropy world, you can likely find him at his “5 to 9” gig as an indoor cycling instructor for Chicago’s Fitness Formula Clubs.

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• Apra-IL Webinar: Prospect Management, The Essential Guide by Ruthie Giles (Virtual Book Tour)

  • When
    Thu, December 11, 2025
  •  
    12:00 PM - 1:00 PM
  • Location
    Zoom
  • Registered
    6 registrants

  Register

  Apra-IL Webinar: Prospect Management, The Essential Guide by Ruthie Giles

  Join us for a special stop on the virtual book tour of Prospect Management: The Essential Guide for a High Functioning Nonprofit Prospect Management System, the first comprehensive guide of its kind in the nonprofit sector. Written by Ruthie Giles, a nationally recognized expert in prospect management, the book offers a deep dive into key areas such as portfolio optimization, managing donor pipeline stages, and effectively partnering with gift officers. With decades of hands-on experience, Ruthie brings clarity, structure, and actionable insight into a critical but often overlooked area of fundraising operations.

  During this engaging session, Ruthie will share the story behind writing the book, her passion for building sustainable prospect management systems, and her vision for where the field is headed. Whether you’ve already read the book or are just discovering it, this is a valuable opportunity to bring your questions, challenges, and curiosity. Expect a lively, practical conversation—and walk away with ideas and solutions you can start applying right away.

  Ruthie's Bio: 

  A renowned thought leader in the field of prospect management, Ruthie Giles has worked in prospect research and prospect management since 2000. She has spoken on the topic of prospect management at APRA, CASE and NEDRA conferences, as well as to regional nonprofit professional groups. She is the author of Prospect Management: The Essential Guide for a High Functioning Nonprofit Prospect Management System (2025). Ruthie has held positions at Springfield Community College, University of New Hampshire, Westfield State University, Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, Harold Grinspoon Foundation, The Loomis Chaffee School, and the Williston Northampton School. She is a former Board of Director member of the New England Development Research Association.

  
  

  
  

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