Dear friends,

We made it to spring! The weather is beautiful in Annapolis, so I’ve been spoiling my dogs with lots of walks. I hope the change of seasons is making its way to your town as well.

Women’s History Month

The Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum is celebrating Women’s History Month with the launch of their Discoverability Lab, which unites history, big data, and the public to enhance women’s visibility in history. You can join them in “bringing women’s history from the margins to the mainstream” by participating in their Wikipedia edit-a-thon today from 11am-2pm.

The Future of AI, Part 2

Last week, I shared Lars Thomsen’s optimistic take on the future of AI. This week, I wanted to share a related call to keep ethics and safety in mind. Writing for Fast Company, WLCM App Studio and Scribbly founder Lindsay Witmer Collins outlined three developments that “give [her] that ‘Danger, Will Robinson!’ feeling”: humanoid housekeeping robots, AI social media personas, and Microsoft’s Majorana 1 chip. According to Collins, though each has beneficial applications, they also introduce noteworthy security concerns. As always with AI, the possibilities are exciting, and we need to look before we leap.

“The technologist in me feels like a kid in a candy store. I only hope the technology that survives [this phase of development] serves our interests as individuals and as a species.”

– Lindsey Witmer Collins

Fundraising Grammar

I missed National Grammar Day on March 4, but fortunately Jeff Brooks at Future Fundraising Now did not. He outlined 10 rules for fundraising grammar, some of which may upset your middle school English teacher. My personal favorite is the reminder that good fundraisers “use the word ‘you’ a lot!” (And we aren’t afraid of exclamation points!)

Project Management

What app(s) do you use for project management? Avalon implemented Monday.com in 2021, and today it is a vital component of our tech stack. We use it throughout the agency, and it is especially helpful for cross-department collaboration. Senior VP Margot O’Leary managed Avalon’s rollout, and she continues to lead the way as our in-house superuser. If you are using or considering this platform for your organization, Margot recommends following Monday.com consultant Patrick Kool, who recently shared these 10 Monday.com workflow secrets.

Workflow Music

Speaking of workflow, senior director of HR Melissa Ferrell shared research demonstrating that workflow music enhances focus and mood, leading to improved task execution. The study involved 196 participants who completed tasks while exposed to different audio conditions, and the workflow music (music crafted to boost productivity) improved reaction times and performance, suggesting that its rhythmic and tonal qualities help maintain focus on tasks by minimizing distractions. If you’d like to give this a try, both Calm and Headspace include workflow music, and I’ve heard good things about Brain.fm. Here’s a freebie to get you started:

March Madness

It’s that time of year, and as per tradition, Avalon is hosting staff March Madness for both the men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments. Thank you to VP Will Griffiths for organizing this year’s event—and to all our basketball fans for playing along. Good luck with your brackets!