Inside today’s @AvalonFYI dispatch, you will find women’s history, risk leadership, why donors stop responding, a 90-second reset, the Avalon team’s most recent ice breakers. Read more here!
Dear friends,
March is in full swing, which means that Avalon fundraisers are busy with spring campaigns and, for a good number of clients, FY27 budget season. On a fun note, we’re also kicking off staff brackets for March Madness, which will carry us through baseball’s opening day on March 26. The weather has been up and down here in Annapolis, but daylight savings time has begun, daffodils are blooming, and Friday is the first day of spring. I for one am ready.
Special Report on Major Donors
The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum recently launched We Do Declare: Women’s Voices on Independence, an oral history project that shares powerful firsthand stories of how women expanded their economic independence in the decades following the 1974 Equal Credit Opportunity Act. They will also host a related Wikipedia Edit-a-thon on March 23: “Amplifying Women’s Voices on Financial Independence.” Cheers to the incredible women in my life who help build companies and nonprofits that support inclusion, growth, respect, and shared success—especially my Avalon colleagues.
Risk Leadership
The Nonprofit Alliance CEO Shannon McCracken shared an important insight from TNPA’s February Essential Leadership Lab: Leaders who successfully navigate risk incorporate both risk management (protective) and risk stewardship (innovative). In her write-up, she noted that nonprofits have a reputation for being risk averse, and to some extent that’s fair, but they also regularly operate within risky environments and are adept at managing this dynamic. Shannon is right; this is a twin responsibility that nonprofit leaders must engage, especially in the current climate.
Risk comes up frequently in fundraising when leaders consider an innovative strategy (risk stewardship) and then execute through careful testing, analysis, and implementation (risk management). In fact, this is why I encourage reframing fundraising expense as a series of investments, rather than straightforward cost. Productive conversations around risk and ROI empower nonprofits to align financial strategies with their mission and values.
Beyond Donor Fatigue
NonprofitPRO recently published an evergreen piece on “the real reason donors stop responding.” Too often, fundraising volume (e.g. “too many emails”) is the scapegoat for a fundraising program that instead needs to sharpen its message and techniques. Cadence will always be important, but there is significantly more to great fundraising that engages and motivates donors. I agree and would add that, while most fundraisers know this, the perspective must also reach leadership. It’s our responsibility as fundraisers to prepare for these reactions, share our knowledge, and advocate for best practices. Doing so will garner more support for the strategies that truly engage, retain, and deepen relationships with your donors.
90-Second Reset
COO Kerri Kerr shared her favorite stress management hack, and, fortunately for busy fundraisers, it only takes 90 seconds. What often keeps stress going longer is the story we continue telling ourselves about it. One way to interrupt that cycle is to pause— closing your eyes, breathing slowly, or just sitting quietly. It’s a small reset but it has been shown to help shift out of reaction mode and into a clearer headspace. Set a timer and give it a try!
“When stress rises, the body shifts into alert mode. If that activation is not fueled by more thoughts, it can move through relatively quickly. You do not always need an hour away. You need a moment where you are not performing, responding, or consuming.”
– Djuan Short, LCSW, Founder, Dahlia Rose Wellness Center
Ice Breakers
Each spring, Avalon assigns small groups we call “pods” to connect coworkers and support collegial relationships on our remote team. Pods engage in different activities together throughout the year, including monthly staff meeting breakouts for thematic questions. Check in with your Avalon teams to hear their most recent answers—and share yours!
Avalon’s March Pod Questions:
Check-in: What’s something new you’ve learned recently (work or non-work)?
Engagement: What’s a skill or area of expertise at Avalon you’d love to understand better—and why?
Check-out: What’s something you’ve always wanted to do, but haven’t tried yet?
