Disrupting what’s expected is uncomfortable. But when it comes to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB), the choice for nonprofits is simple: Interrupt autopilot and build a more diverse coalition to support your mission or keep doing what you’re doing and quickly become an echo chamber that’s out of touch. To address this challenge, Avalon […]

Key performance indicators, or KPIs, aren’t one-size-fits-all. These data nuggets are a valuable way to see if your nonprofit is striking the right balance between thinking big and driving impact. KPIs are designed to tell the story of your work—and the data you uncover should inspire further digging. Why is that particular number down this […]

DAY 3: Sharing Our Visions, Setting our Intentions Avalon’s most recent company-wide retreat provided tremendous opportunities to gather, learn, and share with and from each other. The retreat was structured to focus on core priorities for Avalon this year: Connection, Belonging, and Collaboration. To close out our retreat Avalon’s David Wolkin, senior director of copywriting, […]

DAY 2: Working Towards a Culture of Belonging At Avalon’s latest all-staff retreat in Annapolis, we spent a memorable afternoon with Beth Ridley of Ridley Consulting Group to discuss what it means to feel a deep sense of belonging — at work and in our personal lives. DEI = Leadership Belonging speaks to a fundamental […]

DAY 1: Connecting like Mushroom Roots Avalon’s most recent company-wide retreat provided tremendous opportunities to gather, learn, and share with and from each other. The retreat was structured to focus on core priorities for Avalon this year: Connection, Belonging, and Collaboration. For the first day, we grounded our connection work with a session from Jenny […]

Hi everyone, It is with a heavy heart that I share with you the news that former Avalonian Amelia Stanley passed away from breast cancer on April 2nd. In 2012, our client at the Kennedy Center reached out to me about this amazing candidate that he interviewed but did not have a position for. He […]

Below is the text of the email I sent to clients on March 10, 2020.  Subject: Avalon is prepared Date: Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at 9:08:23 AM EDT From: Allison Porter Greetings! As we continue to watch the impact of COVID-19 unfold, please know your Avalon teams are prepared to respond to changing dynamics and […]

In October 2023, Google and Yahoo announced a new set of email security requirements for any group sending emails to more than 5,000 names at once. Combined, Google and Yahoo (and Yahoo-owned AOL) account for nearly 2 billion email addresses worldwide, so compliance with these requirements is critical to ensuring your email program will continue […]

This article was originally published on tnpa.org on March 6, 2024. For nonprofit organizations, your greatest resource is not AI-enhanced project management software. It’s not a bank of wealthy clients or donors. It’s not flashy premiums or clever campaigns. Your greatest resource in 2024 (and forever) is your people. Ensuring your people are valued and […]

Hello, Avalon and friends! Why is June* Pride Month? The Stonewall Riots started in the early morning of June 28th, 1969 after police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village NYC. Even though police raids and harassment were no strangers to the LGBTQ+ community, this time they had had enough. According to […]