Dear friends,

I hope you are finding your footing in these days after the election. This has been a difficult week, and Avalon is here for you.

Today, I am sharing the message I sent to Avalon on the morning of November 6. I wanted you to know how I am leading, and where we as a company are focused. This was a very difficult email to write, but it was also comforting to connect with my incredible team members and to find renewed purpose in our work together.

My Message to Avalon on November 6

As I struggle to find the right words, I am focusing on the core principle that makes our democracy so powerful: the right of every American to vote for what they believe is best—for themselves, their families, and our country. While I will continue to have the deepest respect for the electoral process, I must also acknowledge the dismay and profound disappointment so many of us are feeling.

I am determined not to let fear guide my steps today. Instead, I will focus on looking forward and renewing my commitment to the strength of our democracy, the importance of bipartisanship, and the belief that the system will continue to move us forward. While it is tempting to dwell in my most extreme negative reactions, I remain hopeful that, with time, we can come together to heal the divisions and address the injustices that have shaped this outcome.

That said, I want to be clear that this intention is not meant to minimize anyone’s feelings right now. We all need space to feel our emotions—disappointment, frustration, fear, or anything else that arises. It’s important that we acknowledge these emotions before we begin to move forward.

Once I’ve allowed myself some time to process, I’m turning my focus to what I can do. The work we do for so many organizations—whose missions are more critical than ever—needs our continued attention. We must support them as they navigate this new reality, and I hope each of you will find purpose and grounding in the essential work ahead.

As always, please reach out to your colleagues, your supervisors, or to me if you need support. I am so grateful for the collective strength of this team, and I know that we will be here for each other through this moment and beyond. There is no better group of people to face this with.

Handling the Heartache

Thank you once again to Frank O’Brien for leading the way on post-election messaging. His November 6 post outlines both immediate steps for “handling the heartache” and advice for strategic year-end messaging. Thus far, the focus has been to stay connected with donors in the overwhelming emotional aftermath of this election:

1. Validate but don’t replicate…how devastated people are feeling.
2. Don’t lean too heavily into fear.
3. Nod towards a credible plan of action.

Looking ahead, O’Brien encourages nonprofits to pivot toward more concrete plans and opportunities for donors to participate. It will be important both to strengthen relationships with current donors and to welcome and retain new donors who are motivated by election results. His advice is excellent, and I recommend following his blog.

“Broad expressions of confidence and determination may be all you can muster right now. They are likely also all your audiences will be able to consume in these first few post-election days. But as your year-end messaging unfolds, you will need to pivot and start filling in the picture.”

– Frank O’Brien

Forward Together

Avalon’s immediate goal is to ensure that every client has a strategic and well-executed response to these events, and that all existing copy and messaging is reviewed in the context of the post-election reality. As appropriate, we are making adjustments to our clients’ messaging, campaigns, and strategies, reflecting the individual organizational response. I appreciate everyone’s hard work pivoting and adjusting, and I am proud of what we have accomplished together in the past week.

In the weeks ahead, we will focus on homerun year-end fundraising, so every nonprofit we serve has a running start when Trump takes office in January. We will then turn to 2025 strategies, to assess and, where needed, adjust.

And of course, we are supporting our staff every step of the way.

Town Hall for Avalon Clients

We are excited for our client town hall on November 20 from 1 – 2 pm, which I will co-lead with COO Kerri Kerr. Please reach out to your Avalon team if you need login information for this virtual event. Convening this month feels more important than ever, and we hope to see you there.