With so much important work left to do, many organizations don’t stop to celebrate the good work they’ve done. That is, until their anniversary. If I had a nickel for every time a nonprofit has told me their doing something special for their 15th anniversary (or so), I could fund your endowment. Seriously.
And that’s the problem.
Most organizations worth their salt will be around for many years, which means that your nonprofit’s anniversary, much like your own birthday, isn’t that significant for people who aren’t very close to you.
I’m not saying you shouldn’t celebrate your anniversary. What I’m saying is, use it as an excuse to do something else, since most folks won’t be likely to throw confetti or write a check because it’s your anniversary alone. Launch a new program, unveil your new branding, or throw a party for your loyal supporters (volunteers, for instance, or donors) for instance.
On a related note, Big Duck is launching our new blog, the Duck Call, to celebrate our own milestone: 15 years helping nonprofits communicate. We’ll use it as a platform to celebrate smart nonprofit communications, explore relevant issues, and just plain have fun. There are many excellent nonprofit communications blogs and Twitter streams out there already. Ours will aim to add a different perspective- one that integrates strategy with creative- adding perhaps a more design-focused point of view. All members of the Big Duck team will be contributing. We hope you’ll find it a useful resource and tell us what you think along the way.
And if you’re still thinking about your organization’s anniversary, check out this article (from January 2006) in the Chronicle of Philanthropy for the (perhaps less skeptical) opinions of others on this topic. Lastly, if you’ve got great examples of anniversaries put to good use, let’s hear ‘em! We welcome your comments.
Tags: anniversary, Big Duck
It’s the old story — it’s not about you, it’s about them.
Congrats on the blog! Looking forward to your posts.
Best,
Nancy
Most nonprofit anniversary stuff bugs the crap out of me. Let us know when you find it done well!!
Glad to have the Big Ducks in the nonprofit marketing blogosphere!
Our organization is turning 40 and we are throwing a shin dig in DC to celebrate (we’ve got two other big meetings happening there at that time, thus the rationale for the location, as well as the proximity to the administration). We are using the event, not just to commemorate our continued existence, but also to recognize leaders in our field. We will be giving out a number of awards. Wondering, does that angle make celebrating more palatable to those among you who are skeptical of these sorts of things (and I include myself among that group)? Any suggestions around this approach?
Thanks for your thoughts…
Yes- I think it’s perfectly appropriate to celebrate your anniversary with an event- in fact, that’s probably the best use of one. You can look back and honor people/achievements and then look ahead to the future.
With a milestone event like that, there’s little need to drag it out for year with special logos, etc. Just make a fuss and focus on the future.
Thanks for asking!