Dear friends, This week we are celebrating some good news at Avalon – and perhaps you are too! As fiscal years close for July-June organizations, SIX of our clients had record-breaking revenue years. If that doesn’t speak to the amazing work fundraisers have been doing – in a pandemic no less – I don’t know […]

Dear friends, I hope that you enjoyed the Fourth of July weekend! Marking the birth of our country was very different this year as I continue to reflect on what it means to fulfill the American promises of freedom and opportunity. In that spirit, I was delighted by Hamilton’s recent debut on Disney+. You may know […]

  Dear friends, I went into the Avalon office last week, and it’s hard to miss that both DC and our building feel very empty. Many buildings are boarded up, and there is some amazing BLM art popping up on the plywood window coverings. If you have an opportunity to go downtown, it’s worth checking […]

Dear friends, The past week held significant moments for many issues we care about, including Pride Month, Juneteenth, and World Refugee Day. LGBTQ+ advocates and allies, we join you in celebrating last week’s Supreme Court decision! And I hope you all caught Lonnie Bunch, Secretary of the Smithsonian and Founding Director of NMAAHC, on WaPo Live discussing the legacy […]

  Dear friends, I hope you have all been able to take care of yourselves and perhaps participate in some of the incredibly moving protests that continue around the country. In the nonprofit space, I have been particularly inspired by theaters’ #openyourlobby response and the National Parks Conservation Association’s letter regarding Park Police actions at Lafayette Park. On […]

  In this unprecedented time, Avalon is here.   Here for our staff.   Our first priority is the safety of Avalon staff and clients. On March 2nd Avalon ceased company travel, and on March 12th we shifted fully to remote work. We have been telecommuter-friendly for 20+ years, which helped make this a seamless […]

Like so many of us, Avalon clients are working from home, practicing social distancing, tutoring their kids and grandkids, and somehow still managing to move their critical organizational missions forward. Here’s what our clients are working on—and ways we can all get involved—as they work to help us all thrive during this unprecedented time.   […]

Increasing Safety for Pigs and Humans Farm Sanctuary and six other animal welfare groups filed a federal lawsuit recently, seeking to make it illegal for slaughterhouses to kill pigs that arrive at the pork-processing plant unable to stand. These potentially sick animals are more likely to harbor and transmit food-borne diseases, which can be dangerous […]

Of all the shiny, new things in the world of direct marketing, the United States Postal Service’s Informed Delivery is one that shows real promise as a new way to make your mail stand out in the crowd.      

  “Hunger doesn’t go away once the holidays are over, in fact, January and February is a time we see a lot of need from those who are really having trouble making ends meet,” said Joanna Warner with the Maryland Food Bank. So MFB is joining forces with the Enoch Pratt Library throughout January, to help […]