Dear friends,

It has been sad to see the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene across the south. If you live in an affected area or are supporting loved ones in the storm’s path, our hearts are with you. Please take care—and reach out to your Avalon team if we can help by adjusting schedules or workflows. We are here for you.

Share Your Fundraising Knowledge

Analytics VP and sustainer superfan Sarah Birnie shared a cautionary tale from Jeff Brooks at Future Fundraising Now: A board on which he serves nearly shut down a sustainer program because of one member’s personal distaste for subscriptions. (“Gasp!”, Birnie cried.) The experience prompted Brooks to make a call to action: fundraisers must actively share their knowledge with leadership. Strong nonprofit leaders will appreciate this, and they will trust experts—like you—to advocate sound strategy.

“ I’ve seen it work many times — leaders’ eyes opening. Fundraising programs blossoming as a result. It happens. And if you can make it happen, it will be a source of joy and pride you’ll treasure.”
– Jeff Brooks, Future Fundraising Now

Strategies to Buck the Generosity Decline

A new report from the Generosity Commission explores the concerning decline in U.S. donations and volunteering in recent years. (The Agitator published a helpful summary here.)

We have seen this trend of declining donors in industry benchmarks since 2021. The new research indicates a complex set of factors, which include “economic precarity… declining trust in institutions… technological transformations, demographic shifts, changes in the workplace, and the aftereffects of the COVID-19 pandemic.” In addition, the report distinguishes between “everyday generosity,” which is more informal, and traditional giving through nonprofits. The Generosity Commission recommends four themes for nonprofit fundraisers:

1. The need for greater investment. 
2. The need to ensure that this support for fundraising is directed across a broad range of diverse communities, so that it can magnify the multifaceted generosity of all Americans. 
3. The need to ensure that fundraisers are encouraging generosity across all income and wealth levels. 
4. The growth of alternative, informal modes of giving alongside monetary gifts.

Four Kinds of Attention

Ad Week outlined four kinds of attention, which marketers can mix and match to influence consumer behavior: instinctual, emotional, cognitive, and planned. They recommend approaching each as “a lever” for desired outcomes. In addition, their research shows that, when marketers can activate two or more kinds of attention at the same time, 71% of consumers stay with a brand for two minutes or longer. When developing creative strategies, it’s wise to consider the kind(s) of attention your strategy will attract, and why.

“I’ve seen it work many times — leaders’ eyes opening. Fundraising programs blossoming as a result. It happens. And if you can make it happen, it will be a source of joy and pride you’ll treasure.”
– Jeff Brooks, Future Fundraising Now

Making Text-Heavy Content More Accessible

Avalon digital design director Désirée Eien created a brief and informative video on accessible long-form digital text. This was developed as an internal training resource for the Avalon team, but I wanted to share it more broadly. The tips are simple and free to implement—and they’re a good reminder that small changes can make a big difference. Thank you, Désirée!

From Pro Athletes to Philanthropists

Last month, I spoke at the Pro Athlete Community Next Chapter U Business Combine. This cohort was 75 former NFL, NBA, NSL and WWF athletes, who met up in Austin, Texas for five transformative days. I serve as a player mentor and coach, and my session focused on defining core values to guide personal philanthropy after a pro athlete career. We explored what players were doing and how to prioritize their values, time, and budget for success. It’s an honor to serve this community.

Meeting-Free Week at Avalon

The week of October 7 will be a meeting-free week at Avalon. Our staff will use this focused time to develop strategies and advance campaigns for our clients. We will reschedule standing meetings, and all deliverables will remain on time. Please reach out by email or phone if you need your Avalon team. We are here for you!