Dear friends,

Congratulations to DMAW and AFP/DC for another incredible Bridge Conference. It was fun to be part of TWO panels, each made up of old friends. Thank you to the all-star panel of Roger Hiyama, Gretchen Littlefield and Dave Strauss, and to my dear friends Tiffany Neill and Mwosi Swenson for joining me to present 30 WOW! ideas on the main stage. I’m grateful we had the chance to share big ideas and discuss the future of our industry, and now I’m excited for Avalon and the entire sector to put this great learning into action!

Avalon Milestone

This week, we’re honoring a truly special milestone: COO Kerri Kerr’s 20th anniversary at Avalon! For two decades, Kerri has helped shape Avalon into the agency we are today—through brilliant client work, unwavering leadership, and a deep commitment to mentoring others.

Kerri has been a steady and thoughtful force—strategic, collaborative, and deeply committed to our mission. Whether launching new initiatives, guiding client relationships, or refining internal operations, she brings clarity, structure, and purpose to everything she touches. She also brings a steady hand to client and staff management. And with a deep understanding of nonprofit dynamics, she has led countless strategic planning efforts and launched membership programs that have made a lasting impact.

As we celebrate this 20-year milestone, we honor not just the length of Kerri’s tenure, but the depth of her contributions. She has helped Avalon grow, evolve, and stay true to its values. And she’s done it all with integrity, thoughtfulness, and a genuine care for the people around her. I am personally grateful for her support and for her thoughtful contributions to and implementation of my goals for Avalon.

Kerri, thank you for 20 years of excellence. We’re so lucky to have you.

Tax Code Impact on Small Gifts

Kerri recently shared an article from NonProfit PRO noting a possible positive impact from the new tax code. Beginning in the 2026 tax year, Americans who do not itemize can once again deduct smaller contributions (up to $1000 for individuals and $2000 for joint filers), even if they do not exceed the standard deduction threshold. This presents an opportunity to highlight 501(c)(3) giving, especially in comparison to informal campaigns like GoFundMe, which cannot offer the option to deduct. Author Jason Zwang suggested five fundraising strategies to address changes in the new code:

1. Re-engage your small dollar donors.
2. Update your acknowledgment language.
3. Make it easy to give—and track.
4. Double-down on major gift cultivation.
5. Steward like it matters—because it does.

“Make sure they know about the new deduction. It’s not flashy, but it’s real. Consider incorporating it into your [2026] year-end appeal or spring campaigns. Framing a $1,000 gift as a new ‘tax-smart giving level’ could encourage some donors to stretch beyond what they’ve given before.”

– Jason Zwang, NonProfit PRO

Reduce Friction to Drive Action

Kerri also reported back from the Virginia Fund Raising Institute conference, where one key takeaway was the importance of reducing friction to drive action. Keynote speaker and Kindsight VP Cherian Koshy noted that Starbucks holds about $1.8 billion of customer money in reserve (yes, you read that right!). To reduce the friction of using a separate payment method, we willingly give Starbucks an interest-free loan with each ($25 minimum) account balance. Here’s the lesson for nonprofits: Identify the steps in every donation process that may cause even slight friction for your donors, then test techniques to make the process easier. Even small changes like offering DAF pay or mobile wallet payments can have a huge impact on results.

Micro-Moments in Digital Giving

Forbes ran an interesting piece on the power of micro-moments. Micro-moments are those blink-and-you-miss-it windows when consumers make decisions in seconds. Though the article focuses on consumer brands, the implication for nonprofits is also significant. In our world, micro-moments translate to techniques like scroll-stop GIFs, punchy headlines, and one-click frictionless asks. In addition, we are leveraging retail strategies for some of our donor acquisition channels, finding wallet-ready prospects who are very willing to donate. According to senior VP and director of digital Mary Meredith, this approach is delivering strong results for our clients.

National Air and Space Museum Reveal

The National Air and Space Museum opened five new galleries and their National Mall “front door” to the public on July 28, marking the latest milestone in their multi-year renovation. VP Aly Wells and I had a chance to visit early, during their annual Flight Jacket Night and Member Exhibition Preview. The event also included a special screening of The Blue Angels documentary in their new Lockheed Martin IMAX® Theater and a lovely dessert reception. Thank you for having us, and congratulations!