Avalon names Chris Maddocks as senior vice president of digital

Avalon Consulting Group has hired Chris Maddocks to lead Avalon Digital, adding a veteran nonprofit and agency strategist with more than 20 years of experience. The move strengthens Avalon’s push to connect fundraising, marketing, data and technology around the full donor experience.

Why it matters: - Avalon is deepening its digital fundraising leadership as nonprofit groups face more competition for donors and more pressure to make every channel work together. - Maddocks brings experience across fundraising, marketing, communications, brand and digital strategy, which Avalon is positioning as a competitive advantage. - The hire adds senior leadership to Avalon’s integrated approach to fundraising and marketing centered on the complete donor and constituent experience.

What happened: - Avalon Consulting Group announced that Chris Maddocks has joined the agency as senior vice president of digital. - Maddocks will lead Avalon Digital. - His role is based in Washington, D.C. - Before joining Avalon, Maddocks was head of integrated strategy at Blue State. - In that role, he worked with major global causes on brand, communications, fundraising, organizational transformation and the strategic use of AI.

The details: - Avalon Digital combines strategy, creative, media, technology, data and analytics to help nonprofit organizations acquire, engage and grow supporter relationships. - Maddocks’ background includes more than two decades across nonprofit leadership, fundraising, marketing, communications, brand, digital strategy and agency services. - Maddocks previously served as chief marketing and communications officer at March of Dimes. - Maddocks also held leadership roles at UNICEF USA. - Maddocks spent more than six years at Boston Children’s Hospital. - Maddocks also served as managing director of Seed Global Health, where he led global marketing, communications, media and private-sector engagement. - Avalon Digital will continue work across paid media, email, search, social, programmatic media, digital acquisition, website fundraising optimization, texting, audience strategy, testing and cross-channel donor engagement. - The practice also uses VeraData’s data science, predictive modeling, analytics and technology infrastructure to create more personalized and measurable donor experiences. - Avalon Consulting Group is part of the VeraData enterprise. - VeraData Holdings describes itself as a data-driven constituent experience management enterprise focused on integrated supporter experiences across platforms, channels and devices. - AvalonConsulting.net and VeraData.com are listed for more information in the release. - The release also includes the company’s LinkedIn page: Avalon Consulting Group on LinkedIn.

Between the lines: - Avalon is signaling that digital fundraising is no longer a separate function, but part of a broader donor journey that includes discovery, relationship-building and conversion. - CEO Michael Peterman said the hire expands the talent, technology, capabilities and excellence clients expect. - Founder and President Allison Porter said Maddocks’ experience on both the agency and nonprofit sides should help him balance fundraising goals with the realities nonprofit leaders face. - Maddocks said fundraising is changing rapidly and that he wants to build on Avalon’s foundation and shape what comes next.

What's next: - Maddocks is expected to help guide Avalon Digital’s next phase as the agency expands its integrated fundraising and marketing work. - Avalon is likely to keep emphasizing data-enabled personalization, cross-channel engagement and measurable donor growth under his leadership. - The company’s stated focus suggests more integration between fundraising strategy, creative execution and technology infrastructure.

The bottom line: - Avalon is betting that a veteran operator with deep nonprofit and agency experience can sharpen its digital offering at a time when donor acquisition and retention demand more coordination across channels.