Dear friends,

Sunday marked the fall equinox, and we’re beginning to see cooler temperatures in the DC area. Things are heating up for fundraisers, though! Welcome to the busy season.

Great News from USPS

I was thrilled to hear that USPS will not increase rates in January 2025. The decision affects all market dominant services, including first-class stamps, marketing mail, package services, and periodicals. Postmaster General Louis DeJoy noted, “Our strategies are working and projected inflation is declining. We will wait until at least July before proposing any increases for market dominant services.” Avalon teams are adjusting cost budgets to reflect this welcome news.

“We will wait until at least July before proposing any increases for market dominant services.”
– Postmaster General Louis DeJoy

Decisive Action by the Federal Reserve

The Fed cut interest rates last Wednesday for the first time since March 2020. Chair Jerome Powell described it as part of a “cutting cycle,” which suggests we can expect more cuts to come. The full effect will take some time, but this should strengthen consumer confidence, which has a direct correlation to giving and supports a strong environment for year-end.

Instagram Announces Teen Accounts

Instagram made news with the launch and immediate rollout of Teen Accounts. For users under 16, the app will default to private settings, limit messaging, and kick into “sleep mode” between 10pm and 7am. These changes will not impact our clients’ fundraising, but it’s interesting to follow how Meta is addressing privacy.

Post-Election Messaging

Like many of you, Avalon teams are busy drafting two (or three!) versions of year-end fundraising copy, depending on the election outcome (or lack thereof). In his On Message blog, Frank O’Brien recommended advocacy messaging for two scenarios: a Harris/Walz win and a Trump/Vance win. Closer to the election, he will also provide guidance for unclear and contested scenarios. Planning for this is critical, especially since Giving Tuesday and year-end campaigns will occur between Election Day and Inauguration Day. Here are good starting points for each scenario:

If Kamala Harris wins the election… The worst thing you can do amid the initial euphoria of a Harris win is adopt a “now we return to our regular programming” tone in your messaging. With Trump out and Harris in, we will have entered a new political landscape. And a new era calls for new language and perspectives. I’m not arguing that you should throw out your core narrative or your brand identity. I’m just saying you will miss the mark if you convey a ho hum “the election’s over and now we’re back to our regular routine” message.

If Donald Trump wins the election… No honest post-election message can be conveyed without acknowledging how painful and alarming four more years of Trump will be. Before you can take your message anywhere else, you have to call out and validate that pain… So don’t sugarcoat the dire consequences of a Trump victory. But call them out and then quickly show people you remain undaunted. Show them how to move forward – concrete steps they can take to protect the people and principles they care about.

Celia Cruz Quarter Makes History

On September 20, the National Museum of the American Latino honored the first-ever U.S. coin to feature an Afro-Latina figure with “Historic Change: An Evening Celebrating the Life and Legacy of Celia Cruz.” Known as “Queen of Salsa,” Cruz was a prominent singer, Latin Grammy Award winner, and National Medal of Arts recipient. The Celia Cruz quarter entered circulation last month and is the 14th coin in the U.S. Mint American Women Quarters Program.

Plant Power!

Everyone at Avalon is still glowing from our recent win as Ad Age Data & Insights Small Agency of the Year. Last week, the analytics team celebrated with a virtual planting through Succulent Bar. The Analytics department chose this activity when given a choice on how to celebrate, and I love that they picked something so creative. This may be one of our cutest virtual gatherings yet!