Dear friends,

With yesterday’s fall equinox, we’re officially in the final stretch of this tumultuous year. The months ahead will be a busy time both for fundraising and for many of us personally. As always, it will be important to sustain our energy and find ways to recharge. Here in Annapolis, I’m trying try to slow down and enjoy the view from my deck each day. It isn’t always easy, but even small breaks can make a big difference. Take good care as you balance it all.

Future of Digital Ads

SVP and director of digital Mary Meredith flagged a noteworthy beta test that is launching at Google. Google Search Ads 360 and retail ad network Criteo announced a partnership giving Google search advertisers an option to place ads across Criteo’s supply of 200+ eCommerce merchants. At present, the beta is available only to “select customers,” but Google anticipates expansion. Avalon’s digital team is tracking this closely, and we are ready to lead the way as opportunities develop for nonprofit advertisers.

How to Lead Change

In our fast-paced profession, change management is a core leadership competency, and “breaking through resistance” is often part of the deal. To help your team embrace a change, NonProfitPRO editor-in-chief Amanda Cole recommends the following approach: (1) “build buy-in early,” (2) “prioritize training and support,” (3) “connect technology to mission,” and (4) “plan for sustainability.” Though the article focuses on technology projects, change resistance can also be an obstacle in fundraising: We must all be ready to adapt successfully and lead change inside our organizations as new challenges and opportunities arise.

Taming Email

Senior VP of client services Jackie Libby noted a helpful Fast Company article on taming email at work. Email is an essential tool, but it also presents a persistent challenge: Email processing accounts for 28% of the average workweek, and, left unchecked, it “fragments your attention [and] blocks deep work.” One interesting strategy is the “stack method,” which uses five simple folders (Reply, Do, Meetings, Waiting On, and Review) to help you batch your work and stay organized. This and other suggestions are worth a try, to ensure that email doesn’t take over your day.

“These strategies aren’t about zeroing out your inbox for bragging rights. They’re about protecting your focus and getting your time back. With a few small shifts, you can take back hours of time and massive amounts of cognitive energy from processing email, and reinvest it in the work that really drives you forward.”

– Carey Bentley, Fast Company

Museum Expansion

In client news, the National Air and Space Museum announced an exciting expansion at its Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, Virginia. The museum will add 44,000 square feet, increasing its total display space by 20%. Among other artifacts, the Museum plans to use the new space to exhibit the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress “Shoo Shoo Shoo Baby” and the Martin B-26 Marauder “Flak-Bait,” fully assembled for the first time. Congratulations and best wishes as this project takes flight.

Conversation Starters

As I’ve shared before, Avalon organizes teammates into “Avalon Pods,” to support social connection and belonging in small groups. COO Kerri Kerr and senior director of HR Melissa Ferrell take the lead on organizing these groups and planning connection activities, including staff meeting breakouts. If you’re curious or would like updated icebreakers, here’s a peek at our most recent staff meeting prompts!

September 2025 Avalon Pod Questions

• Check-in: What’s one subject you loved (or hated) in school?
• Engagement: If you could go back to school for a day, what class would you want to take again?
• Check-out: What’s something new you’ve learned at work this year?