Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2026 1:00 PM - Wednesday, September 23, 2026 2:00 PM
Location:

Wednesday, Sept. 23, 1–2 p.m. ET

Providing leadership with actionable, concise and timely intelligence prior to events is a vital function of the prospect development team. In this session, a panel of prospect development experts spanning higher education, health care, the arts and cause-based organizations share how they produce effective event briefings under tight deadlines.

Attendees will explore collaborative models for working alongside partner teams to determine specific intelligence needs for high-value donors. Panelists will share concrete examples of briefing materials to help you evaluate and strengthen your shop's event research practices.

Key Takeaways

• Identify key elements required in executive-level event briefings
• Establish clear workflows with partner teams to clarify prospect details ahead of events
• Balance comprehensive research with tight operational deadlines
• Connect event research to broader relationship management and institutional strategy

Who Should Attend

This session is designed for mid-career to seasoned prospect development professionals who oversee or execute leadership briefings, event research, and executive support.

Meet the Panel

Senior Specialist, Prospect Research, Humane World for Animals (formerly called the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International)  
Anna’s career in fundraising began when she joined Humane World for Animals, formerly known as The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International, in August 2019. Anna develops detailed donor profiles, bios, and briefing materials that support leadership and frontline fundraisers in donor meetings, events, and major gift cultivation. She conducts comprehensive research to evaluate donors’ capacity, affinity, and inclination, and presents donor recommendations at bi-weekly assignment meetings to help guide portfolio strategy and strengthen prospect engagement.  

Assistant Director of Leadership Briefings, Caltech 
Deanne Luna is the Assistant Director of Leadership Briefings at Caltech and serves as the primary point of contact for the development of donor and event briefings. She joined the Institute in 2017 as an assistant on the Principal Gifts Team and transitioned to Advancement Services in 2019. 

With more than seven years of experience as Caltech's briefings writer, Deanne has developed a deep understanding of the information Institute leadership needs to engage effectively with donors, alumni, and guests. Following the appointment of Caltech's 10th president in July 2026, she has played a key role in supporting the leadership transition by refining briefing materials, documenting best practices, and training fundraisers to present critical information in a clear, accessible, and actionable format. 

Before joining Caltech, Deanne worked at a nonprofit children's science museum as an operations scheduler. It was there that she was first introduced to the world of philanthropy, inspiring the career in advancement that continues today.

Program Director, Prospect Research, Humane World for Animals (formerly called the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International) 
Jennifer joined the Philanthropy department at Humane World for Animals, formerly known as The Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International, in September 2023. She leads research efforts for the prospect development team by providing donor intelligence to leadership and frontline fundraisers in support of donor cultivation and solicitation activities, while supporting prospect discovery efforts and the team’s overall strategy. 
 
Jennifer has 15 years of full-time experience in fundraising and advancement services across higher education, secondary education, and animal welfare. Her areas of expertise include prospect research, program administration, leadership annual giving, and stewardship. She became involved with Apra’s Content Development Committee (CDC) and its predecessor groups in 2013. She served as vice chair of the CDC in 2024-25 and as chair in 2025-26.  
 
Outside work, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her husband and their rescued senior toy poodle, Debbie, as well as other small-sized dogs they foster through their favorite local rescues.  

Deputy Chief Development Officer for Research and Strategic Planning, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Sharon joined The Met’s prospect research team in 2023 after serving as deputy director of development operations and prospect research at the Yale School of Management.  Her career in fundraising began with the Yale Office of Development in 2012 after over a decade of leukemia research.   She has been a director of APRA-Greater New York since 2022. 

Senior Prospect Research Analyst, Northwell Health
Tami has been working in fundraising operations for over 20 years and has been with Northwell Health as a prospect research analyst for 6 of those years. Having tried just about every supporting role in fundraising from event planning to gift processing and database management, she found her real passion in prospect research and development. Before joining Northwell Health, Tami worked for higher-ed institutions, cause-oriented organizations, and one grantmaking foundation. She loves engaging with and learning from colleagues in the fundraising world.