For this month’s Board Member Spotlight, we spoke with Carolyn Caldwell, GPC, CFRE Founder & Lead Instructor at Unlock-Grants LLC. Carolyn wears many hats here at the Central Ohio Chapter. She is a Past-President, Strategic Partnerships, Be the Cause and the Chapter Campaign Chair. During her interview, she told us a bit about herself and her experience with AFP.
Q: Tell us a little about your organization. Mission? Population you serve? What do you like most about working there?
Unlock-Grants is an online self-paced course for those new to grants. I developed the course to strengthen the nonprofit community’s ability to go out for and win grants. I love that it allows me to share all I’ve learned about grants in my 15 years as a grants consultant.
Q: How long have you been an AFP member, and what has your involvement been?
I have been an AFP member since 2010. I have served as Membership Committee Chair and VP of Membership; President-Elect, Chapter President, and Immediate Past-President; Chair of Global Education Courses and VP of Professional Development; and most recently as Chair of Strategic Partnerships, Be the Cause, and the Directorship Committee. I have also served as a Mentor and a member of the Monthly Education Committee during my time with the chapter. I look forward to being a Mentor again next year, and to helping the Sponsorship Committee secure grants for the chapter.
Q: What do you consider the most valuable part of your AFP membership?
The networking within the chapter has allowed me to establish myself as a grant professional in the Central Ohio nonprofit community. But I would say the most valuable part of my AFP involvement has definitely been the colleagues and friends I have developed over the years. I now have personal and professional relationships with so many working in fundraising, and we can share experiences and an understanding of the realities of working in the nonprofit sector.
Q: How long have you been in fundraising, and how did you get into it?
I started out as a fundraising event administrator in 1989. It was intriguing to see how an event with a purpose could excite people to give, and be more successful.
Q: What is your favorite part about living/working in Columbus? Favorite place to go?
My favorite thing about Columbus overall is how it’s become so culturally diverse since I moved here in the ‘80’s. The town is so accepting and open, and I love that. I have lived here for over 35 years, and I still love German Village the best. It feels so different down there than it feels anywhere else.
Q: Tell us a fun fact about you that other AFP members wouldn’t know.
I’ve been told I have a knack for connecting people and making them feel welcome – that’s a trait I got from my father. Dad would seek out the wallflower in the room and immediately walk over and engage them, make them feel like part of the group. Then he would introduce them to the next person, and everyone would have a new friend. I like to think of my dad whenever I get that urge to walk over and say hi to a stranger.
Q: What has been your biggest success in your career?
Careers need hope and help and strength to be successful. I would like to say the biggest part of the success of my career was having my husband behind me, supporting me. He didn’t understand grants, or even the internal workings of nonprofits, but he believed in me and had patience. He never rushed me or questioned what I chose to do. He was my biggest cheerleader when things went right, and my shoulder to lean on when things went wrong. I have had to be all those things for myself now that he’s gone, and I miss him every day.
Q: What has been your biggest learning opportunity in your career?
When I was just starting out in grants, Norma Sexton (Development Director at Columbus Museum of Art and a long-time CFRE) hired me as a part-time grant writer to help advance the incredible work already being done by their full-time grant pro Maureen Carroll. I soaked up as much as I could about best practices, how grants fit into a full development plan, and how they play a part of the development team. That was the best experience a new fundraiser could possibly hope for!
Q: Where would you take your dream vacation?
My bucket list is a trip all over Italy. And since this is a “dream” vacation, I would speak Italian with a flawless accent. I would eat well and wouldn’t gain a pound. No luggage – clothes would just magically appear and be chic and fashionable.
Q: What is one thing your organization does really well?
The best thing about the Unlock-Grants course is the support I give my students; course registrants receive lifetime support to ask questions and submit draft proposals for review — that’s more than any other grants course will give you, and it helps achieve my mission to strengthen the nonprofit community. My review or answer is added to the course’s Topic Library, so the student and all others can benefit and learn.
Q: Do you have a favorite book/blog/podcast/etc. that has been very helpful in your career that you’d like to recommend?
Brené Brown’s book “Dare to Lead” has inspired my journey and really helped me mature as a leader. I went through the book and accompanying workbook with a small team of colleagues, and this past November we shared what we learned and how we’ve applied its principles at a Grant Professionals Association annual conference session in Baltimore. We start on Brown’s “Strong Ground” in 2026.