Dear friends,

I hope you enjoyed the long weekend! At Avalon, in addition to client work and our 2026 strategy kickoff, we’ve been having fun comparing Super Bowl notes. Whether your jam was Brandi Carlile, Bad Bunny, Charlie Puth, or the Patriots or Seahawks, it was quite the night. After the events of the last few weeks, the halftime message of joy, unity, and love was just beautiful, and the showcase of Puerto Rican culture was amazing. I watched it more than once just to catch everything. And the commercials! Redfin’s Love Your Neighbor was a tearjerker for me, but Dunkin’ won for this New Englander, as always.

Libertas Americana

I was delighted to hear the Smithsonian mentioned during the coin toss, which featured a restrike of the Libertas Americana medal. Originally commissioned in 1782 by Benjamin Franklin, the silver medal represents America’s victory in the Revolutionary War. Poignantly, the medal aspired to depict not only key battles, but also the triumph of “a nation governed by values rather than by individuals.” The restrike used in this year’s game will now join the National Numismatic Collection at the National Museum of American History.

Avalon at 26NTC

We are three weeks out from NTEN’s 2026 Nonprofit Technology Conference, which will convene March 10 – 13 in Detroit, Michigan and virtually. We look forward to sharing Avalon’s expertise and hope to see you there!

• Senior director of paid media Andrea Thorn and director of paid search Marcel Solorzano will present on “AI and the Future of Paid Search: What Fundraisers Need to Know.”
• Senior digital account director David Lothamer and Maan Sacdalan, director of digital production and database management at the National Trust for Historic Preservation, will present “Beyond the Welcome Series: Five New Ways to Leverage Email Automations.”

What Is Emotional Intelligence?

Senior VP Jackie Libby shared a helpful outline of emotional intelligence, which defines five major skillsets: self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skills. These are not predetermined character traits, but learnable behaviors that enhance leadership, collaboration, and productivity. One challenge for many professionals, the article notes, is an overly hectic pace that “erodes our emotional capacity.” Certainly, fundraisers know a thing or two about fast-paced work! It’s a good reminder to slow down where we can and strengthen these leadership foundations.

A Lesson in Perseverance

I love the Winter Olympics and have rooted for Lindsay Vonn since her debut in Salt Lake City in 2002. Her injuries this year were sad, but she has always been a strong and resilient athlete with a positive outlook (who is also an impactful philanthropist). “Three important things to be successful,” she once said, are “belief in yourself, willingness to sacrifice for those beliefs and where you want to go, and having a support system… Because inevitably we will have bad days, and we will all need to persevere through adversity.” Her story is an inspiration for finding strength in difficult times, and I admire her courage.

“I tried. I dreamt. I jumped.”

– Lindsey Vonn

This Thursday! Avalon Town Hall

Avalon will host our 2026 State of the Industry Town Hall for clients this Thursday, February 19 at 1:00 PM. Before we open to Q&A, COO Kerri Kerr and I will address the most pressing matters facing nonprofit fundraisers, how Avalon is responding, and how to move forward with confidence. Please see your email invitation or ask your Avalon team for details. I look forward to seeing you!