As a preschooler, I loved Easter and “dressing up.” My Dad recently said I need to show my softer side, and hence this image.
I am an experienced, independent, certified nonprofit executive. As a DIY (“do it yourself”), hands-on problem-solver, I always strive to accomplish more with less.
People sometimes believe I am part of a larger firm. But the truth is, I am a one-person company and I conduct most all my own work, by hand. This is unlike most colleagues in the “consulting”
profession. For my full vita, please follow this link: Carolyn’s Vita on SlideShare.
The mission of my company, Carolyn M. Appleton, Inc., is to enable nonprofit organizations to attain their fundraising and public relations goals in the most efficient, thoughtful and high quality manner possible.
Major gift and special project fundraising are primary interests. I am also experienced in stewardship, special events (from galas to corporate VIP jet trips), nonprofit communications (off and online), publications (writing, editing and graphic design), advanced prospect research, grant writing, and grant and campaign strategy development. I have helped raise approximately $33 million in private sector donations over the course of my career, not counting charitable gifts secured for the many nonprofit organizations for which I have volunteered.
Click to reach the Phi Kappa Phi website (elected 1985).
My two degrees were received from The University of Texas at Austin. During graduate school, I was elected to membership in The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi, and I was honored to receive the Meredith Long Scholarship in American Art.
During that time, I authored and co-authored publications on 19th century American Art and American Western Art. One example may be viewed on SlideShare.
I have been a longtime member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), and I am a current Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). Other professional organizations of which I am a member include: CharityChannel; Greenlights for Nonprofit Success; NTEN: Nonprofit Technology Network; and the Partnership for Philanthropic Planning San Antonio (PPPSA). After more than a decade of freelance major gift work, I created Carolyn M. Appleton, Inc. (2007).
I have been pleased to be recognized on occasion for my work by receiving awards for excellence and outstanding service from such organizations as the North American Butterfly Association; The Nature Conservancy of Texas; Dallas Zoological Society (including a standing ovation from the Board of Trustees); BRIT: Botanical Research Institute of Texas; Art Museum of South Texas; and NTEN: Nonprofit Technology Network. I was appointed and reappointed by Texas Governor Rick Perry to the Texas Environmental Education Partnership Fund Board (my extensive project documentation has been donated to the Texas State Library and Archives).
Vintage postcard of DAR headquarters in Washington, D.C., 1930.
Thanks to the work of a talented genealogist of the Corpus Christi Chapter, I was elected into membership in the National Society, Daughters of the American Revolution in 2010, after a careful review that confirmed my family ties to Irishman John Honeyman, whose life is chronicled on Wikipedia. The NSDAR was founded in 1890. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C. as a non-profit, non-political volunteer women’s service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America’s future through better education for children. I am a member of the Corpus Christi Chapter, and an Affiliate Member of the Alamo Chapter (San Antonio).
On a personal note, I am a supporter of the World Food Programme, both through individual donations and via the Raise5 micro-volunteering platform. Follow this link to reach my service page: Carolyn on Raise5. Thanks to the people who have “purchased” me thus far!
I have added Google+ Hangouts as another option for sharing information with my Raise5 clientele. Also, one may designate other nonprofit organizations receive funding in exchange for my donated services, if desired. Click on the logo to reach the World Food Programme directly.
For more information about me and how I work, please refer to the links in the margin of this website, and to my corporate site on WordPress. In-person meetings by appointment only.
Thank you for visiting!
