Dear friends,

Avalon is back from our retreat and feeling strong! For today’s Dispatch, I wanted to share our experiences, strategy, and the lessons we’ve learned about the art of gathering a remote team in person. I see retreat weeks as an investment in future teamwork, client success, and staff retention. They are a lot of fun, but they are also important work—and, once again, I’m grateful and extremely proud of the way our team showed up.

Reunited With Purpose

Last week’s retreat theme was Reunited with Purpose: Reconnect, Reflect/Refocus, and Reignite. Monday’s social gathering was a chance to reconnect and transition from remote routines to shared space. Tuesday’s goal was to reflect and refocus on team foundations through shared learning, open conversation, and collaborative problem-solving. Finally, Wednesday was a day for our team to reignite our expertise, celebrate the week, and return home energized.

Well-Rounded Agenda

We continue to iterate, but big picture Avalon retreats incorporate four components: social connection, learning, collaboration, and free time.

• We kicked things off with an all-staff dinner and yard games at my home. It’s a relaxed setting and a great place to reconnect. Also, I love to host! It’s fun for me to share my home and local flavors like Maryland crabcakes, Forward Brewing beer, and Always Ice Cream (everyone’s favorite!).

• All-staff professional development is another key element. Each year, we choose speakers that will bring an engaging experience to our team and whose expertise aligns with our goals for the year.

• We coordinate meeting blocks, for small-group collaboration on both long-term strategy and active projects. Teams also spend quality time together at department dinners.

• Finally, we allow ample free time between organized activities for impromptu gathering, catching up on urgent tasks, and rest. This was a key lesson learned from our early retreats: Resist the urge to overschedule.

Our overarching goal is for each team member to feel valued and to feel a sense of belonging at Avalon. The real magic of a successful retreat—and a successful organization—is always the unique mix of people in the room.

Resilience in Difficult Times

Our first learning session this year was on Resilience in Difficult Times. Leadership coach and trainer Jenny Phillips led a fantastic interactive workshop that addressed both individual and team resilience and culminated in a lively case study of the Apollo 13 mission. I was thrilled at how firmly our team grasped the key lessons and how well they connected those ideas to our day-to-day work. Resilience is always an important topic for nonprofit professionals, especially in the current climate.

A slide from Jenny Phillips’ resilience workshop, tracking lessons from the Apollo 13 case study.

Empowered Presentations

Our second learning session was an empowering training designed to help us step into our speaking voices with confidence. Led by public speaking trainer Sammi Sadicario, this session focused on practical tools to elevate presentation skills and amplify personal impact, from sharing expertise to commanding a room. I enjoyed embracing the awkward in our small group work and learning the science behind a lot of these approaches! Thanks to our friends at NewportOne for sharing this training resource.

Best Team Ever

We’re back at our home offices now, putting all this learning into action. As I reflect on the experience, I feel clear and confident about Avalon’s path forward—and I know it all begins with our team. As we navigate a shifting landscape across the nonprofit sector, ensure that our clients’ fundraising meets the moment, and face the next news cycle, there is no group of people I’d rather lead or work beside. And there is no one I trust more with our clients’ success.

Thank you again to the Avalon team for making the trip to Annapolis, to our speakers for incredible learning sessions, to everyone behind the scenes in hospitality, and to our planning committee for creating such a connecting experience. I am already excited for our next retreat!