Anniversary Time

is too good to miss.”

Why?

I think of anniversaries for nonprofits in the same way I think of college grades.  Much as I agonized over my grades while I was in college, in all the years since I graduated (1968!), no one has ever asked me what grade I got in any course.  Never.

Do you honestly think that by being in existence for 50 years people will give you more money?

  I don’t. 

Yes, they want to know you are sustainable; and longevity shows that to some extent.  But by focusing on how long you’ve been around rather than on what you’ve accomplished recently (because, honestly, who really cares that you were founded by a group of parents who, or because of whatever—and no one is overly interested in what happened all those years ago) you are focusing in the wrong direction.

Sure.  You can use an anniversary as a hook, but be very clear what that hook is for.  

Instead of spending so much time thinking about cool anniversary events, why not spend the same amount of time—and probably less money—reaching out to donors, both current and lapsed, to talk about the value of your organization and how their generosity has helped to create amazing impact.  And by “talk” I mean reaching out in any way that works from actual realtime conversations to posts on social media and everything in between.

During the darkest days of the pandemic, many nonprofits were reaching out to supporters, sending good thoughts and telling them what the organization was doing to keep vibrant and sustainable during these hard times.  And people reacted.  Individual fundraising actually grew in 2020—mainly by small donations.  But hey, small does add up.  Sadly, many organizations have ceased that outreach, falling back into I’m only going to reach out when I’m specifically asking for money modes.  But donors really do want to know what you are doing, why it matters, and yes, why they matter.

If you feel you must celebrate that anniversary, do it with intention.  I hear a lot of nonprofits saying that their big anniversary event is not meant to be a fundraiser—and that’s fine.  If, you actually have a follow up plan.  Just to throw a party for the party’s sake seems to be an expensive way to say we’ve survived for….And that expense could so much more effectively be spend on programs that push your mission forward.  

As you celebrate where you have been, don’t forget to be telling people where you are heading.  It can be a good thing to look back and take pride in what you’ve done.  It is an excellent thing to look forward and talk about where you are going.  

And don’t forget to invite them along for the ride.