“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

On June 24th, 2026, the Women of Color in Fundraising and Philanthropy (WOC) community gathered 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 received 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.

Long time PCR friend and client Ana Oliveira, CEO of New York Women’s Foundation, presented Poonam’s award, as a beautiful culmination of nearly two decades of working together

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

Congratulations to Poonam and the other honorees!

Giving USA 2026: Total U.S. Giving Reaches Historic $617 Billion

For 70 years, Giving USA: The Annual Report on Philanthropy has provided
comprehensive charitable giving data that are relied on by donors, fundraisers and nonprofit leaders. As a member firm of the The Giving Institute, Prasad Consulting & Research is excited to announce this year’s release of Giving USA 2026. The research in this annual report estimates all giving to all charitable organizations across the United States in 2025.  

Please see PCR’s infographic outlining the key findings of this report below:

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.

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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