FYI Blog

Avalon Dispatch 01.28.2025

In this week’s @AvalonFYI dispatch, you will discover our newest national monument, multi-lingual fundraising, NTEN’s data empowerment survey, a few new words, and even more books. Read it here!

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Dear friends,

Greetings from Charleston, where Avalon leadership is gathering for two days of planning. We have an incredible team of leaders, and I’m excited for us to connect in person, think big, and put great strategy (and action) behind our best ideas. Thank you to COO Kerri Kerr for leading our agenda and meeting design, and to marketing and operations manager Mollie Bensen for coordinating logistics!

The Avalon senior leadership team in a courtyardThe Avalon senior leadership team in October 2024.

A New National Monument

Congratulations to our friends at National Parks Conservation Association, who are celebrating the designation of a new national monument by former President Biden. Chuckwalla National Monument will protect over 600,000 acres in the California desert, reaching from Joshua Tree National Park to the Colorado River. The designation expands the Moab to Mojave Conservation Corridor to nearly 18 million acres. Among many benefits to the region, it will protect habitats for notable species like the Mojave Desert tortoise and the Chuckwalla lizard. Thank you to everyone at NPCA for your hard work and advocacy to reach this milestone.

A Western Chuckwalla lizard sitting on a rock in the desert

“This 18-million-acre corridor links the Mojave Desert to the Colorado Plateau, providing safe migration routes for wildlife like the iconic desert bighorn sheep and ensuring clean water flows through the Colorado River and its tributaries. It protects sacred sites central to Tribal nations for countless generations, and welcomes millions of visitors each year, inspiring exploration and bringing lasting economic strength to surrounding communities.”

– Theresa Pierno, President and CEO, NPCA

Do You Know the Difference Between “Translation” and “Transcreation”?

If your organization wants to produce content in both English and another language, it’s important to understand the nuances. “Transcreation” is about capturing the context and the cultural implications of a sentence, not just translating word for word. This ensures you’re conveying the same overall meaning as the original text, so your messaging is accessible to a wider, multi-lingual audience.

While AI and ChatGPT are great for some things, this is one instance where a native speaker’s knowledge and context can’t be replaced. That’s why Avalon partners with language experts like Mendoza Group to support our clients with multi-lingual messaging. The largest demand has been for Spanish translation and transcreation, though Avalon offers these services in other languages, too. If you’re interested, please reach out and we’d be happy to help.

NTEN Data Empowerment Survey

NTEN has issued a data empowerment survey for nonprofits, as they prepare to release their 2024 Data Empowerment Report. This biannual benchmark documents trends and practices related to storage, consent, uses, resources, and challenges in nonprofit data collection and security. Participants will be entered to win a free professional certificate or a registration to the Nonprofit Technology Conference.

Color block quote: “With artificial intelligence technologies becoming ubiquitous, this research is more important than ever. Your contribution to this research ensures that it reflects the diversity of our sector and is useful to organizations of all types and sizes.” – NTEN

Brand Spanking New Words

Marketing VP Barb Perell shared an update from Oxford English Dictionary, tracking its latest additions, including “brand spanking new.” From the marketing world, “content creator,” “brand awareness,” and “brand ambassador” made their official debut. And I was not surprised to see “snark” on the list: “This newly added word originally meant ‘irritated grumbling or complaining’ and is now used to refer both to snide, sarcastic criticism, and to a person dishing it out.” It is fascinating to see how language evolves over time, and it makes me appreciate our copywriters even more.

Book Club

Who else is reading Onyx Storm? The much-awaited third installment of Rebecca Yarros’ Empyrean series hit shelves last week, and there has been a lot of bookish chatter at Avalon. I’m a big fan of anything that gets people reading, especially if it also brings our team together. But if dragons aren’t your thing, try this list of 2024’s most checked-out books from New York City’s public library system. There’s something for everyone!

Take care,
Allison signature gray

A closeup of Allison Porter, outside in a green jacket

Allison Porter, President
Avalon Consulting Group
202-627-6502
allisonp@avalonconsulting.net