Carolyn's Nonprofit Blog

As I post, no information I could possibly share about fundraising generally speaking would be helpful to those affected by the torrential rains and overwhelming flooding across the Texas Hill Country.

But I will share that one of the best, most trustworthy sources of information about organizations that can receive your charitable donation and manage it well to help those in need, is the Communities Foundation of Texas. On their website, you will find a list of organizations they endorse. If you make a donation, thank you!

When I lived in Dallas during the 1990s, I worked with the director of the Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT), which is headquartered there. My first project in Dallas was setting up and opening the first North Texas office of Texas Nature Conservancy. After completing that daunting but worthwhile task, I went on to help save the Dallas Zoo from falling into disrepair. CFT is one of the largest community foundations in the nation. I would simply emphasize, you can trust their judgement.

I returned to live and work in Central Texas in summer of 2013, and part of what attracted me back to the area is the beauty of the Hill Country and fond memories of years past. I hate to admit it, but I remember when Westlake Hills was a small suburb to which we drove in order to enjoy music at places like Soap Creek Saloon. Back then, Westlake was the “hill country.” Now it is a sprawling suburb considered to be part of West Austin, and the “hill country” is considered much larger in scope! This was during my time attending The University of Texas at Austin, when I secured two degrees in the 1970s and 1980s. I was also an early devotee of vintage and antique shopping all across the Texas Hill Country.

Returning to our summer 2025 flooding events, I enjoyed helping Texas Search and Rescue set up its first staffed office back in 2015. Funding from the late Jimmy Buffett provided funding to allow us to untangle myriad details of office life and basic functions that volunteers had little time to manage properly. It was a true hands-on challenge, but from there, TEXSAR was bolstered. A new professional staff member was hired, and the organization has now begun expanding its volunteer search and rescue operations across Texas.

TEXSAR deploys its volunteers at the request of law enforcement and emergency management professionals. It does not just go out and “rescue people.” Everything is carefully coordinated, and the leadership trains its volunteers during the year in the latest search and rescue methods. So, if I were to endorse one nonprofit active during the recent flooding, it would probably be Texas Search and Rescue.

“We achieve excellence through constant training and preparation as our members continually exercise their skills using the materials and equipment required to deliver the highest quality services possible in any environment.”

As we see critical services to the American people being cut at the federal level, volunteer support will become increasingly important to the safety of our citizens in the future. Please keep abreast of issues affected nonprofit organizations by following the National Council of Nonprofits.

“The work of charitable nonprofits cover a wide range of causes and efforts, and executive orders have the potential to impact funding, staffing, and general operations of critical community services. The implications of the executive orders vary greatly from immediately taking effect to immediately being challenged in court. Staying abreast of the executive orders and their related actions is crucial for ensuring nonprofits are aware of upcoming hurdles to their work.”

Back in 2015 when I was helping TEXSAR get its organizational infrastructure set up, Central Texas had experienced similar catastrophic flooding. I was on the ground with TEXSAR – as far as was safe for me to be (from a distance) – watching a search and recover operation for two children, brothers, lost in that flooding event. This was not a rescue operation; we knew the little boys would not be found alive.

I spoke with a Sheriff as we surveyed the riverbed with high cliffs and beautiful homes perched atop them. “You see that lower balcony?” he said about one of the homes with three cascading balconies atop the cliff. “The flood coming down here from Austin was right up under that balcony.” That was an astonishing height.

One thought for Central Texas that I have posted on social media now and again: less concrete, please. The region is growing so fast, and concrete acts as a force multiplier. Torrential rains cannot sink into the earth as they normally would. Instead, the water keeps flowing downhill, wherever that may be, until it creates a “wall” of water that people and wildlife cannot escape. My colleagues at TEXSAR brought this to my attention back in 2015.

Well, enough memories for this post! I wanted to share one last item of information regarding charitable donations, an alert from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Be careful, donate wisely.

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CON­SUMER ALERT: Attor­ney Gen­er­al Ken Pax­ton Pro­vides Guid­ance to Pre­vent Fraud and Sup­port Char­i­ta­ble Giv­ing Fol­low­ing Trag­ic Flood­ing in Texas.