Dear friends,

It’s hard to believe that we’re approaching the end of August. If you have children returning to school, I hope their academic year is off to a good start. I love seeing first-day-of-school pictures on social media, so thank you for sharing!

In marketing news, Adweek has been calling for a more accessible digital world. They see an opportunity for agencies to set standards and advance accessibility for their clients. I found this statistic sobering: only 2% of websites meet current accessibility standards. Though these changes can be expensive, accessibility is a long-term issue that impacts every organization’s digital strategy. (For more on this, see Avalon’s guidance on how digital marketing can further your DEI goals.)

Fundraisers are frequently tasked with educating and persuading leaders to make sound investments and positive changes (like enhancing digital accessibility) that will advance their missions and programs. Wharton recently published Top Tips for Persuading Others, which I found relevant and actionable for our work. Here’s what they recommend:

1. It’s always about relationships.
2. Grab their attention.
3. Give them credit.
4. Practice fairness.
5. Develop multiple paths, then pick the best one for the most people.

If you’ve been hearing about the USPS seasonal rate increase, you can rest a little easier knowing that it will not impact nonprofit rates. The proposed increase is temporary (planned for October 2, 2022 – January 22, 2023), and it specifically targets holiday packages (Priority Mail, Priority Mail Express, First-Class Package Service, Parcel Select Ground, and USPS Retail Ground). Currently, the plan has been approved by the governors of the Postal Service and is open for public comment through August 25. After that date, the Postal Regulatory Commission is expected to approve the plan.

On the topic of mindset, one of my favorite mantras is “Don’t let perfection be the enemy of the good.” So, I was delighted last week when the New York Times reposted their good advice, “It’s Never Going to Be Perfect, So Just Get It Done.” A key takeaway: it’s important to recognize the difference between improvement and polishing:

At some point, we must remind ourselves, any changes we make to a creation no longer make it better but just different (and sometimes worse)… Recognizing that inflection point — the point at which our continuing to rework our work reaches a law of diminishing returns — is one of the hardest skills to learn, but also one of the most necessary.

For your cultural calendars, the Washington National Opera (WNO) will present its annual Opera on the Field at Audi Field on September 25. The event is part of the WNO’s free broadcast series, and field seating will open on a first come, first served basis. This year, opera (and soccer!) fans will be treated to a broadcast of Carmen. I love how this community event makes opera accessible to so many people.

Here at Avalon, last week was a fun one. Avalonians in DC went to the Nationals game last Tuesday, where we celebrated with other Washington Post Top Workplaces. Unfortunately, the Cubs won, but we’re still glowing from the recognition. And our virtual gathering committee hosted an entertaining game of “Co-Worker Feud.” I love our staff’s creativity around teambuilding. Thanks, team!

Avalonians Will Griffiths, Peter Childs, Rebecca Shapalis, Emma Scott, Tricia Edwards, and Mollie Bensen at Nationals Park with family and friends. 

A virtual round of coworker feud. Survey says…!

Finally, this pair of tweets celebrating the Inflation Reduction Act put the biggest smile on my face last week. In case anyone missed it, I had to share:

View this on Twitter.

Allison Porter, President (she/her/hers) Avalon Consulting Group 202-429-6080 ext. 102 allisonp@avalonconsulting.net