This week’s Avalon Dispatch is guest-authored by chief operating officer Kerri Kerr.

Dear friends,

It was wonderful to see many of you at Bridge!  Congratulations and thank you to this year’s organizers, volunteers, sponsors, and speakers.  It was a whirlwind of connection and learning, and the Avalon team left feeling inspired and motivated.  I hope everyone made it home safely, and that you’ve had a chance to rest after such an active week.

Alex (left), Chioma (right), and me after our session at Bridge.

On Thursday, I presented a session on Combatting Bias in Direct Marketing Fundraising with Alex McNeill of AMP Coaching and Chioma Iwuoha of Bread for the City.  We shared the logic for and findings from our work together on Fundraising Choice Points.  This strategy involves slowing down decisions to actively consider fundraising choices that impact inclusion and access.  From there, we help our clients set goals, and we tackle them with all the rigor of direct marketing—testing, iterating, and moving each organization forward.  We are sharing Avalon’s process on our website, and we hope more and more colleagues will join the conversation:

This is slow, persistent work without an end — and we are by no means experts in this endeavor.  If this were a class we were taking together, I’d be leaning over my desk to show you the notes I’ve taken so far.  We don’t have it all figured out, but we do know that sharing our work-in-progress and encouraging others to join us in this work is the best way to advance DEIB across the industry.

Throughout the conference, it was energizing to be with so many fundraisers who want to learn and improve at their jobs.  The experience led me to reflect on what it means to lead a strong culture of learning.  To support this, Harvard Business Review’s “Learning to Learn” explains how to cultivate a learning mindset.  Author Erika Andersen outlines 4 key ingredients: aspiration, self-awareness, curiosity, and vulnerability.  As the Bridge community demonstrates, this helps us bring our very best to each other and the nonprofits we serve.

In a similar spirit, senior VP Margot O’Leary shared a helpful post from Jeff Brooks at Future Fundraising Now: “8 Things I’ve Learned in 35 Years of Fundraising.”  These are good reminders for us all, and it’s a great round-up to share with newer fundraisers.  Thank you for 35 years of thoughtful fundraising and helpful guidance, Jeff!

For your next presentation, senior director of HR Melissa Ferrell shared advice from Duarte on using storytelling in presentations.  They apply the classic hero’s journey to the presentation experience.  The most important thing is to ensure that your audience is the hero of the story.  Your job as speaker is to be a mentor, providing “valuable information, practical advice, and strategies the audience can apply.”

Finally, I wanted to share my message to Avalon at the 100-day mark in the 2024 election.  As COO, I’m doing everything I can to support a healthy work culture and a sense of empowerment in a time of national stress.  As a human, I find connection and meaning as a member of the Avalon team.  And, as a citizen, I am so proud of the work we do together.  Thank you, as well, for your part in that.

We’ve passed the 100-day mark in the countdown to the 2024 election.  I want to acknowledge this is a stressful time for people as we personally process what’s happening while also working to guide our clients through the months ahead.

Personally, I’m grateful for the Olympics as a wonderful reminder of all that truly does unite us as human beings.  It’s nice to see our country come together to cheer for our amazing athletes while ALSO respecting the athleticism of our competitors.

Historian Heather Cox Richardson’s July 28 Letter From an American gave me hope that we can pull out of these dark times and build something great—our predecessors have done it, and this is our opportunity.

Take care of yourselves as we navigate this uncertain time – and reach out if you need support.