The TCU Nonprofit Communicators Conference offers a convenient one-day training and support for nonprofit communication professionals through interactive workshops at an affordable cost. The annual event is open to any nonprofit communicators “looking for the best way to tell their stories,” said Ashley English, a conference cofounder and strategic communication assistant professor in the Bob Schieffer College of Communication.

Each year, the conference is organized by the Department of Strategic Communication in the Bob Schieffer College of Communication.

2026 conference

Collaboration: Helping Nonprofits Find Their Super Power Through Communication and Connection

Registration is now open for the 16th Annual TCU Nonprofit Communicators Conference, which runs 8:45 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Friday, May 15, 2026, in TCU’s Dee J. Kelly Alumni and Visitors Center, 2820 Stadium Drive, Fort Worth.

When the going gets tough, nonprofits can rely on one of their strengths: collaboration. While nonprofits operate sometimes within a competitive landscape, more often they connect with other organizations to provide one part of a web of support for people and communities. Collaboration involves engagement, listening, commitment, negotiation, long-term thinking, and more.

How might nonprofit communicators build more capacity for collaboration and connection with their partners? What role does communication, storytelling, and listening fill during collaboration? This year’s conference addresses these topics and more to help communicators and other nonprofit professionals get ready for a collaboration framework.

Sessions will include these topics: storytelling ecosystems; generative AI and GEO; volunteers and other partnerships; listening and engagement; and more.

Questions or concerns? Please contact Ashley English at a.english@tcu.edu.

Speakers

2026 Speaker Bios

Schedule

8:45 – 9:15 a.m. Check-in and light breakfast
9:15-10:30 a.m. Opening Plenary and Q&A
What is Collaboration and What Are Our Options?

  • Shaneika Frazier, Director of Community Relations & Solutions, Dallas College
  • Johny Garner, Ph.D., Professor, TCU Communication Studies
  • Hee Soun Jang, Ph.D., Professor, UNT Public Administration
  • Troy Williams, Director of Community Outreach, City of Arlington
  • Moderator: Ashley English, Ph.D., Associate Professor, TCU Strategic Communication
10:40-11:55 a.m. Concurrent Morning Workshops
The Stories Between Us: How Nonprofits Collaborate to Advance Mission

  • Shelley Bettis, Executive Director, The WARM Place Grief Support Center for Children and Families
  • Beth Lamb, MA, APR, Executive Director, Key School and Training Center
  • Moderator: Kim Brown, APR, Co-Founder of Story and Strategy
 Nonprofits and AI Searches: A New Collaboration

  • Dr. Sarah Maben, APR, Assistant Professor, TCU Strategic Communication
  • Reggie Johnson, APR, Director of Student Affairs Communication, UNT Health Fort Worth
12-1 p.m. Finding Inspiration Through Collaboration
(Sponsor: TCU’s Center for Connection Culture)

  • Keynote Conversation with Ashley Brundage, President and Chief Executive Officer, Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity
1:10-2:25 p.m. Concurrent Afternoon Workshops
Partners in Purpose: Leveraging Volunteers and Collaborations to Strengthen Your Nonprofit

  • Millicent Boykin, Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, OneStar Foundation
  • Carol Pierce Goglia, President & CEO, Catch Up & Read
 Leading Through Collaboration

  • Sarah Maben, Assistant Professor, TCU Department of Strategic Communication
3-3:15 p.m. Closing Session and Q&A:
Using Listening Sessions to Innovate and Grow

  • Jennifer Trevino, Executive Director, Leadership Fort Worth
  • Sara Fairley, Program Director, Leadership Fort Worth

 

About the Nonprofit Communicators Conference

Drs Ashley English (left) and Jacqueline Lambiase (right) cofounded the TCU Nonprofit Communicators Conference.

Past sponsors and partners have included Wells Fargo, Volunteer Now, TXU Energy, UT Dallas Office of Diversity and Community Engagement, the DFW American Marketing Association, TCU Extended Education, TCU Neeley School of Business, the North Texas Community Foundation, the Texas Volunteer Management Conference, and Authentic Web Solutions.

The all-day conference was founded in 2009 by Drs. Jacqueline Lambiase and Ashley English at the University of North Texas through a Wells Fargo grant. It was held at University of Texas at Dallas in 2010, and since 2011, the conference has been at TCU.