“With giving by individuals remaining the greatest driver of nonprofit growth, the importance of understanding the capacity and interest of your individual donors and prospects continues to be critical to the success of every type of nonprofit.”

Poonam Prasad
Founder and President

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Women of Color (woc) Awards 2026

Each spring, the Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy (WOC) community gathers to celebrate another year of championing women of color in fundraising and philanthropy and to honor incredible professionals through the WOC Awards.

This year, Poonam Prasad is honored to be the recipient of the 2026 WOC Award for Excellence, which is bestowed upon an accomplished and highly-regarded professional in the nonprofit sector, who has demonstrated exceptional leadership and expertise and inspires others in the field.

The 2026 WOC awards will also honor three other remarkable women in fundraising and philanthropy: Christiamilda Correa, Damyury Almonte, and Valaida Fullwood.

Join Poonam and the PCR team as we celebrate this extraordinary honor and these inspiring women at this year's WOC Awards on Wednesday, June 24th! We will come together for delicious offerings during the cocktail reception ahead of the award ceremony. The festive evening will end with the cutting of WOC's traditional cake marking its 6th Anniversary.

Event Details
Wednesday, June 24th, 2026 6:00 PM - Cocktail Reception
7:00 PM - Awards Ceremony
The Players
16 Gramercy Park South
New York City

WID Newsletter: Women’s History Month

March is Women’s History Month — a time to honor the women who broke barriers, built institutions, and paved pathways for those who came after them. In the world of nonprofit fundraising, few organizations have done more to advance women’s careers than Women In Development (WID). To mark this occasion, we sat down with three WID New York's past Presidents — Linda C. Hartley , Poonam Prasad, and Nicole Thigpen Felix — whose combined decades of service reflect the organization’s enduring mission. Their reflections offer hard-won wisdom, honest perspective, and genuine inspiration for anyone committed to equity and excellence in the philanthropic sector. Please click the link next to each woman for an inspirational view of Women In Development.

Linda C. Hartley
WID President, 1998-2000
Click here to read Linda's interview!

Poonam Prasad
WID President, 2008-2009
Click here to read Poonam's interview!

Nicole Thigpen Felix
WID President, 2017-2018
Click here to read Linda's interview!

Five Myths and Success Strategies around Using a Fundraising Consultant

As a founding member of the India Philanthropy Advisors Network (IPAN), Prasad Consulting & Research (PCR) is proud to share a new collaborative thought piece co-authored by our President, Poonam Prasad.

Fundraising is the lifeblood of the nonprofit sector, but it is often misunderstood as a simple transaction. In reality, it is the culmination of relationship-building, storytelling, and trust. While many organizations turn to consultants to navigate this complexity, several misconceptions can hinder these partnerships.

In this article, Poonam and her fellow IPAN founding members, Kris Cafaro, Vijay Chitnis, Alex Counts, Sharmila Rao Thakkar, and Gouri Sadhwani, debunk five prevalent myths to help nonprofits maximize their ROI when partnering with external experts.

Women in Development Webinar:
The Giving Outlook

On October 3, 2025, Prasad Consulting & Research (PCR), in partnership with Women in Development (WID), hosted The Giving Outlook: Strategies for Fundraising Success in 2025–2026, a dynamic virtual event that brought together over 100 nonprofit professionals for an engaging discussion on the latest philanthropic trends and data from Giving USA 2025. The webinar also covered the current state of philanthropy, and provided actionable ideas for the future.

Moderated by Poonam Prasad, Founder and President of PCR, the session featured an expert panel including Jamila Baucom-Rosal, Vice President for Advancement, The Children’s Village; Karaugh Brown, Chief Advancement Officer, Whitney Museum of American Art; Melanie Buhrmaster, Vice President, Philanthropy, Food Bank For New York City; and Elaine Chu, Vice President, Philanthropic Strategies, Private Donor Groups, Fidelity Charitable. Together, they offered thoughtful analysis on donor behavior, high-net-worth giving, and practical strategies for sustaining fundraising success amid a rapidly evolving philanthropic landscape.

The conversation was both insightful and inspiring. Thank you to our speakers and all who joined us for making this event such a success!

Poonam Prasad is a former WID President and serves on the board of the Giving Institute and Editorial Review Board of Giving USA.

research & strategy Development

PCR uses its expertise in research and strategy development from crafting solicitation strategies to maximize ask levels and identify the best people to make the approach to setting up and building major gift programs, capital and special campaigns, and design and implement fund-raising programs for new nonprofits.
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audits

PCR conducts audits of research departments and development offices to determine if current staffing levels, skills, organizational structures and resources are maximizing the organization’s revenues and are adequate for a capital campaign. 
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staff & board training

The firm provides training to an organization’s staff to improve the scope and reliability of information discovered. This includes making recommendations on the use of new resources, such as database screening, and other online research services. 
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americares

PCR was hired to ramp up the organization’s individual giving program by assessing its research needs and providing counsel on all aspects of the program. 
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NEW YORK-PRESBYTERIAN HOSPITAL
& WEILL-CORNELL MEDICAL COLLEGE

PCR was hired to conduct an audit of the development department’s research operations to assess its readiness to support fundraising efforts for an upcoming capital campaign. 
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Sinop kale excavations, turkey

PCR was hired to design and implement a fund-raising program to raise private funds for an archaeological excavation in Turkey, co-directed by two American archaeologists. 
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