2010 to the Present | Most Recent Activities Appear First

• Keep in mind, I publish posts or “thought pieces” on this blog during the year, so there is much more information to be found on this website.

• For my presence elsewhere online, current volunteer projects and endorsements, see Linktr.ee at carolynmappleton. You can also read my Phi Kappa Phi Expert Profile by following this link.

• To learn about prior volunteer activities, follow the link to Carolyn’s Community and Volunteer Activities.

2024 and 2025

• August 20, 2025 | I was pleased to give a TechSoup Quad presentation about YouTube for nonprofits, why it is important for nonprofits to be present on YouTube, and how to get started on YouTube with pre-existing materials. You can find my slide deck on ISSUU @carolyn551 and in video format on YouTube @CarolynAppleton. My verbal commentary was recorded, and the full presentation is available solely to Quad members. Quad is a secure conversation platform that includes more than 1,000 nonprofit professionals around the world who share information, request and receive help, and more. Please join us! There is a modest annual fee to participate, but I think it is worth it.

• May 24, 2025 | I joined with Eileen Bristol, co-owner of Sahara Lounge in Austin to kick-off and celebrate Africa Day. As part of my longtime volunteer work for ONE Campaign (since 2012), I set up a table on the patio that evening with ONE swag and a QR Code to encourage visitors to join ONE and stay abreast of the latest activities in Washington, D.C. Please join us! There is no fundraising involved, only advocacy for Africa and a positive continuing relationship with America. Africa Day celebrates African sovereign rule, independence, and African identity. And there is no better place in Austin to kick-off this important day than Sahara Lounge.

• May 6, 2025 | TechSoup Connect Austin: I enjoyed speaking about, “YouTube for Nonprofits: Build Visibility, Trust, and Engagement.” I provided ample evidence about the importance of nonprofits being present on YouTube. I shared simple tips for creating videos with existing content (including PowerPoint slide decks), and discussed the importance of authenticity and how YouTube “Shorts” can help. My more recent slide deck for TechSoup Quad is available on YouTube @CarolynAppleton and on ISSUU as a document @carolyn551.

• April 5, 2025 | I enjoyed speaking during the 100th anniversary meeting and celebration of the Molly Goodnight Chapter in Amarillo, Texas chapter of the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution. For several months, I have been conducting research about my pioneering great grand aunt Mary Honeyman Ten Eyck Turner (Mrs. Avery Turner, “Minnie”), and her husband. Avery Turner was one of the most influential railroad executives of the American West. He was one of the individuals who helped establish what is today called BNSF Railway. “Aunt Mary” as our family called her was involved in civic works locally in Amarillo and nationally via the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution, particularly during WWI and WWII. She chaired the national DAR Conservation Committee when the well-known “Penny Pines” program was launched, and more. Aunt Mary was the founding Regent of the Llano Estacado Chapter of DAR, which later became the Molly Goodnight Chapter.

Simultaneously, I continue to update my family “tree” on Ancestry.com. DAR members are fans of Ancestry.com and so, making sure my lineage is demonstrated there is my goal. I have connected articles from Newspapers.com to both Aunt Mary and Avery Turner’s entries. More than 100 family members have been added to the tree. In 2024 and 2025, I also contributed to the family archives at the University of New Mexico at Albuquerque and to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum.

Follow this link to my ISSUU page for a digital version of my slide deck. Follow this link to select minutes of the DAR Conservation Committee 1936, 1937 and 1938.

It is my hope that the Texas State Historical Association will add Aunt Mary to the Handbook of Texas (Avery Turner is already found there). I would like to republish one of Aunt Mary’s three books, “These High Plains,” the sales from which would benefit the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum. Stay tuned!

• During 2025, I continued to manage the website I created for Citizens’ Climate Lobby Austin, Voices of Austin. I author articles like, “Science Underpins the Work of Citizens’ Climate Lobby,” and “CCL Texas Lobby Day 2025 a Success.” For both this blog and Voices of Austin, you can sign up to receive posts on Voices of Austin. One of the things I like about CCL is that it is nonpartisan and solution oriented. Please join us!

• I curated the X feed for Citizens’ Climate Lobby Austin @cclatx 2017 to 2024. I closed that feed at the end of 2024 after being barraged by hundreds of shady “followers,” and moved it over to Bluesky, where in only a few months our following has exceeded that of X, now numbering more than 1,000 (and in only six months).

• August 2024 | I was interviewed for an article that appears in the December issue of The Major Gift Report, Vol. 26, Issue 12 of the Wiley Online Library. For a more detailed discussion, see my blog article, “Virtual Tours Can Bring Campaigns (Back) to Life.”

2023

• November 8 | Thanks to Instrumentl for quoting me in its blog, “How To Get Noticed by Invite-Only Grant Funders.”

• September 7 | I enjoyed speaking during the Northeast Texas Regional Preservation Summit hosted by Preservation Texas, on behalf of Atlanta Grade School Friends. Follow the link to see our slide deck.

• April 4 | I gave a webinar for Crescendo Interactive based on my Practical Planned Giving Conference presentation in 2022, “Technologies for Effective Capital Campaigns.” My presentation was updated, and it is packed with helpful information. You can watch my slides without commentary on YouTube @CarolynAppleton.

• February 2 | “Old School Teaches New Lessons: How Technology is Preserving a WPA-Era Icon” was given during the Friends of the Texas Historical Commission Real Places annual conference in Austin. A recap is shared on my blog. You can listen to my “remote” presentation on YouTube @CarolynAppleton.

2022

• September 20 | I enjoyed giving two back-to-back presentations during Crescendo Interactive’s annual Practical Planned Giving Conference in San Diego, California | “Technology and Data to Lay the Groundwork for Lean and Effective Major Gift Fundraising,” part of the “Navigating the Future” track of the conference. I gave an updated version of the presentation in April 2023.

• July 30 | Atlanta Grade School Friends, “The Economic Impact of Historic Preservation in Texas.” I was pleased to write the featured article in this issue. Historic preservation goes hand-in-hand with economic development and this has been a tremendous success story for Texas over the years.

• During 2022 and 2023, I was pleased to be quoted in the Phi Kappa Phi Forum (journal). I have been a member since 1985, when I was elected during graduate school at The University of Texas at Austin.

• April 5 | I gave a webinar hosted by Qgiv about launching a career in nonprofit grant writing and fundraising and transitioning from a for-profit to a nonprofit career in fundraising. To watch the recording, follow this link to the Qgiv website. For a write up on Carolyn’s Nonprofit Blog with access to the slide deck on ISSUU, follow this link.

Thanks to Candid for referencing my article, “Building Relationships with Professional Advisors” on December 6, 2022. Follow the link to the Media Mentions page.

2021

• To see my slide deck for the Rotary of Lakeway presentation in April, “Never Say Never,” follow the link to ISSUU.

2021

• On September 30 my blog article for TechSoup was posted online, “How Your Nonprofit Fundraising Team Can Prepare for Disaster.”

• As a member of The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi since 1985, I participate in an ongoing online discussion whereby members are invited to comment and share their thoughts about various timely issues. One of my brief comments is included in the summer 2020 issue of the quarterly journal, “Forum.” There, I shared my concerns about the dangers of hate speech which references a post on Carolyn’s Nonprofit Blog composed in 2019, “Resources to Combat Hate Speech.”

• On May 4, I spoke via Zoom to Nonprofit Tech Club Austin on, “Prospecting: Reviewing Your Own Database for Hidden Gems.” This discussion about research had a Texas slant and related commentary. On April 14, I presented a Qgiv webinar along similar lines, “Prospect Research: Finding Hidden Gems in Your Database.” The discussion had a broad focus and emphasized how some of your best potential donors are often already in your database(s), but you must set aside quality time to find them and to conduct research.

• February 13, I helped present a day-long workshop in Houston related to the TechSoup disaster preparation and recovery educational program that I helped develop in 2019. Now that the online course has been developed and fine-tuned, it is available to the public and I recommend it highly!

2019

• I was pleased to write a blog post for Qgiv, “Building Your Nonprofit’s Credibility with Qgiv” (November 6, 2019).

• To access nonprofit disaster planning and recovery course from TechSoup, follow this link. From summer through fall 2019, I was part of a team of nonprofit experts and TechSoup staff who helped develop the online course, which was initially focused on Hurricane Harvey-impacted regions of Texas. The project was underwritten by the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, and the information it shares is helpful to any nonprofit anywhere in the world. Our TechSoup team gave a day-long in-person presentation in Houston just prior to COVID-19 lockdowns in early 2020.

2018

• On October 22, I was the focus of an, “Ask the Expert” online presentation as part of the initial TechSoup Disaster Preparedness Program.

• On April 10, I enjoyed teaming-up with Chris Tuttle on, “Getting Beyond the Like: Using Social Media to Cultivate Deeper Commitment,” a webinar hosted by Idealware and TechImpact. This was one of six courses included in The Nonprofit Social Media Toolkit.

• You might enjoy reading my article on the importance of social media stewardship and research in the June, 2018 issue of ADRP’s e-newsletter, The Hub.

• The morning of June 15 during the AFP DFW Philanthropy in Action conference at the Irving Convention Center I discussed, “How Startup Nonprofits Can Break Into the Big Leagues.” My slide deck is posted on ISSUU.

• I enjoyed speaking about “asking” for charitable gifts during lunch to the AFP Permian Basin Chapter on April 25. To reach my slide deck, see ISSUU. This is a powerful, information-packed presentation!

• I gave a webinar to members of the Association of Donor Relations Professionals (ADRP) on, “Taking a Step Back Will Lead You Forward,” on March 29. To read a blog article that includes my central themes, click here.

2018

• Thanks to GetEdFunding for reprinting my article,“Grant Writing: A Reality Check” (December). This is one of the most-read articles on Carolyn’s Nonprofit Blog. As of 2025, I do not think their website remains online.

• I wrote an article for Bloomerang, “How Startup Nonprofits Can Break Into the Big Leagues” (November).

• Coffee Chat at the Regional Foundation Library, Austin. On May 25, I enjoyed discussing asking for major gifts, and turning difficult situations into positive outcomes. Please note the Regional Foundation Library is now the Texas Grants Resource Center, a division of The University of Texas at Austin.

• AFP DFW Philanthropy in Action conference, May 19 at the Irving Convention Center, “Asking for Major Gifts: Expecting the Unexpected.” I was delighted to have a “full house,” and so many excellent questions. See ISSUU for more.

2017

• In April 2017 Bloomerang kindly invited me to write a blog post on volunteers and volunteering, “Think Volunteers Are More Trouble Than They Are Worth? Think Again.” Read a popular blog post about the importance of nurturing volunteers on Carolyn’s Nonprofit Blog.

• Sam Houston Association of Computer Scientists, Sam Houston State University, “Tech Solutions: Nonprofit Communications and Fundraising,” March 4 during the FutureTech Conference. See ISSUU for the slide deck.

• I was pleased to be quoted by Ricky Ribeiro of BizTech Magazine in, “4 Pearls of Wisdom for Nonprofit Technology in 2017″ (February 13).

• For NetSquared (now called TechSoup Connect) I gave a webinar called, “Creating a Remarkable Meetup” for club organizers globally. I shared my tips and hands-on guidance about the creation and management of a Meetup page (February 7).

• Nonprofit Ally, “Insider Tips from a Professional Grant Writer” podcast (recorded January 6). This was a 58-minute discussion about grant writing from the perspective of senior level grant writer, including issues that affect grant writing (things that are in your control, and those that are not), and more. You can find the podcast as NPA 054 on the Apple podcast app.

2016

• Nonprofit Ally, “Giving Thanks” (November 27). This blog post expanded on my article, “Thank You,” which you can read by following the link.

• NTEN Connect, a publication of NTEN: Nonprofit Technology Network, “Technology Adoption in the Workplace: A View from the Trenches” (May 18). Thanks to NTEN for sharing my musings on this important topic. See ISSUU.

2015

• National Catholic Development Conference, Dimensions, “Mailing Lists: God Is In The Details” (October/November 2015 issue). This is an article from my primary website, Carolyn’s Nonprofit Blog, reprinted. I was honored to be included in the primary development journal for Catholic fundraisers.

• TEXSAR: Texas Search and Rescue presentation to the Travis County Kennel Club (November 2015). I enjoyed giving a private presentation to the Board of the Club about TEXSAR and its use of canines in search and rescue (and search and recovery) efforts in Texas. You can find my slides on ISSUU.

• I spoke to the Coastal Bend Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals on August 25 at Del Mar Community College in Corpus Christi, Texas on the CFRE process and my personal experiences.

• “Blogging Your Nonprofit Career on WordPress” was a presentation I gave during WordPress Day at the Austin Convention Center in March, immediately prior to the 2015 Nonprofit Technology Conference. I wrote an article a few years ago about this topic on Carolyn’s Nonprofit Blog (several supportive links are provided).

• Thanks to NTEN: Nonprofit Technology Network for including me in, “NTEN Member Roundup” (January 6).

2014

• Texas Non Profits included an article featuring my predictions, “2015 and Beyond: Fundraising Predictions” (December 31).

• On the Apple podcast app, you can find my talk with Steve Vick of Nonprofit Ally (October 16) as NPA 018, “Approaching Corporations for Money.”

• I gave a presentation called, “Fundraising Predictions: 2014 and Beyond” for the Texas Library Association (June 9).

• I enjoyed giving a presentation during the AFP DFW Philanthropy in Action Conference at the Irving Convention Center, “Digital ‘Do It Yourself’ for Major Gift Professionals” (June). I was pleased to have had a packed room.

• I was part of a team of teachers involved in the CFRE Review Course in Austin June 9-10. My session focused on donor and prospective donor research and discussed best practices. I also helped teach the capital campaign module for the CFRE Review Course in summer, 2008. To read about my CFRE exam concerns, follow the link. I am no longer a CFRE (after 14 years), and hope the organization revises its examination content.

• Bloomerang Google+ Hangout (video) with Steven Shattuck, “Tips for Working At or With a Start-up Nonprofit” (March); Bloomerang, “The Ultimate Guide to Nonprofit Grant Writing and Research” (February). The title is not mine, but I am honored they chose it for this piece; and Bloomerang, “6 Expert Fundraising Predictions for 2014” (January).

2013

• AFP DFW Philanthropy in Action presentation at the Irving Convention Center, “Social Media: Major & Planned Giving Applications” (June).

• GuideStar case studies (2013): 1) GuideStar as a research solution; and 2) GuideStar and meeting with prospective donors and professional advisors. These discussions were posted on the former website for several years as pdfs. You can find a more recent discussion on Carolyn’s Nonprofit Blog, “GuideStar: Invaluable Nonprofit Resource.”

• Bloomerang, “Amplify Your Nonprofit’s Impact with Social Media” (Summer).

• Prior to WealthEngine’s website redesign, I wrote a popular article for its blog, WealthWorks, “Volunteering & Charitable Giving” (Spring). If you visit Carolyn’s Nonprofit Blog, read “High Tech Research Worth the Investment” to get a general idea about my experiences with WealthEngine (now WE). To read about volunteering, follow this link to, “Volunteering and Charitable Giving.”

Thanks to Adisa Energize for mentioning my article, “Volunteering and Charitable Giving” on its website under, “Fundraising: Articles and Books” (2013).

2012

• Crescendo Interactive Practical Planned Giving Conference at the Rosen Shingle Creek Resort (September 2012), “Social Media: Major & Planned Giving Applications” (given twice during the event). See ISSUU for follow-up.

Thanks for the mention, Kivi Leroux Miller and the Nonprofit Marketing Guide! Follow the link to Kivi’s website, “How Social Media and Fundraising Fit Together.” Think about it: we were talking about this back in 2012, and my first NTEN conference presentation was on this topic as well, in 2010. Social media has become even more essential today.

2011

• NTEN: Nonprofit Technology Network, CHANGE, “Engaging Major Donors with New Media” (December, my article begins on page 26). See ISSUU.

• Charity Channel Summit and Grant Professionals Association (joint conference) in October 2011 at Bally’s Las Vegas, “Social Media and Nonprofit Technologies: Major Gift and Planned Giving Applications” with Holly Ross of NTEN and Kristen Schultz-Jaarda of Crescendo Interactive. My personal thanks go to Holly and Kristen for taking time out of their busy schedules to participate.

• Margaret Battistelli wrote for Fundraising Success, “NTC: Roundup: Major Gift Fundraising and Social Media” (April 20). Margaret attended my talk during the 2010 Nonprofit Technology Conference (#10NTC) at CNN Center in Atlanta, and I appreciated her coverage. My slide deck for this presentation (now on ISSUU), ranked in the top ten from the conference for a year.

Other

• During my university days in the 1980s while attending graduate school, I authored and co-authored a number of art and art history articles in scholarly publications, from The University of Texas Press and the Gilcrease Magazine to The Magazine Antiques. If you have questions about those, let me know. This blog page lists activities undertaken from 2010 to the present day. Carolyn’s Nonprofit Blog was launched in 2011.