Dear friends, Hello again, and happy spring! I had a great vacation, but I have also missed connecting with you here. It’s good to be back. Avalon has been busy… First and foremost, congratulations to Mary Meredith, Avalon’s new Director of Digital Innovation! Mary is leading the charge to advance Avalon’s work at the […]

This is part two in a two-part series on women in philanthropy. Read part one here. Frequently, charitable giving by women, directly or through women’s funds, focuses on improving the quality of life and opportunity for girls and women. Women have long understood that the key to building and raising up communities is through empowering […]

This is part one in a two-part series on women in philanthropy. Read part two here. Finally the data is proving what many of us have known all along: women are shaping the philanthropic landscape. Women are not only making their own fortunes, but many are inheriting wealth through the intergenerational transfer, and they are […]

  Dear friends, It has been a challenging two weeks with gun violence on both sides of the country, including targeted victimization of Asian Americans. To learn more about these issues and how you can help to stop AAPI hate, I recommend the Smithsonian’s resource page, and in particular the work of its Asian Pacific American Center. […]

  Dear Friends, I hope that everyone who celebrates St. Patrick’s Day enjoyed the occasion last week. The best thing about the holiday for me personally was seeing an Avalon client featured in this video from Guinness. Congratulations to Maryland Food Bank for this recognition. Meanwhile, Avalon was busy celebrating Pi Day. It was an especially fun […]

  Dear Friends, The past week has been full of nostalgic “one year ago today” reminiscences, mostly to underscore how naïve we were about what was ahead of us. I’m trying to continue to look forward, grasping the small indications of hope that we are starting to come out of this pandemic. I anticipate a […]

  Dear friends, Happy Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day! To mark the occasion yesterday, President Biden established a Gender Policy Council within the White House and named Jennifer Klein and Julissa Reynoso co-chairs. I am particularly excited to hear that their vision is LGBTQ+ inclusive and will “advance equity for Black, Indigenous and Latina women and girls […]

  Dear friends, We made it to March. This is the month that many of us will mark as the anniversary of COVID—the early wave of cancellations, the transition to remote work, the first stories of loss, and many other previously unimagined changes. I hope this month offers you opportunities to reflect on the past […]

  Dear friends, I hope those of you experiencing tough winter weather – especially in Texas and other areas where infrastructure has been inadequate – are safe and warm. It is sad to see these challenges laid bare, causing more suffering in an already difficult time. I am reminded yet again of the high stakes of government […]

  Dear friends, First and foremost, thank you to everyone who responded to TNPA’s call to action by signing their donor privacy amicus brief last week. Your donors will thank you, and so do we. In other news, the second impeachment trial is behind us. The outcome was frustrating and sadly predictable, and the process was a […]