Lunch Party or Launch Pad?

A Perspective on Maximizing Nonprofit Anniversaries

The allure of celebrating a major milestone such as a 50th or 100th anniversary can be irresistible for nonprofit organizations. Often viewed as major inflection points, such anniversaries offer an opportunity to elevate an organization’s profile (and more). But, without strategic focus and disciplined execution, anniversaries can amount to little more than a quickly forgotten party. Think of major anniversaries more as a launch pad to a new era of impact by your organization rather than a fancy luncheon with formulaic speeches.

At The Compass Group, we strive to help clients take advantage of every asset at their disposal to deepen mission impact, expand philanthropy, and enhance volunteer and community connection. Well-planned anniversaries certainly represent an asset to be deployed. Below are five considerations for anniversary celebrations that strengthen organizations for long-term impact.

• Why are you doing this? Any organization marking a major birthday must be crystal clear about why they are celebrating. A birthday, even a big one like 100 years, is not inherently meaningful; it simply means the nonprofit is old. But if you can articulate “We are celebrating x years because…” and follow through on this credibly and passionately, you are far stronger. You must be clear internally of course, and you need to package your “why” into an externally resonant message. People should be able to “get it” easily.
• What is authentic and true? Your anniversary celebration, activities or campaign must flow from your real history—good, bad, or indifferent. Marking a major milestone should explain how that history has led you to the present moment. Own your history and convert its lessons into future progress. History allows you to credential your work, to demonstrate sustained impact (if you have it). Of course, your organization is also not the same today as at its founding; celebrate that change.
• Who is being lifted up? While the anniversary may belong to your organization, the essence of your work is those you serve. Orient your celebration as much as possible toward your constituents and partners. What are their stories? How did you serve them? What does that say about your nonprofit’s commitment to your community or national constituency? Find ways for your anniversary to honor your volunteers and donors. The glory you share will be reflected back two-fold on your mission.
• Think beyond a single celebration. Anniversaries can be the endpoint, middle point, or starting point of something much more significant than a single moment in time. Use your anniversary to “anchor” bigger arcs of activity over time. For example, you could plan six monthly events—each with a specific theme and forming a crescendo—leading up to the day itself. Your anniversary year could serve as an opportunity to draw in the next cohort of coveted leadership volunteers or to kick off fresh programming and new commitments. Anniversaries can be the salient anchor point for a major capital campaign, again either the launch or culmination. While the anniversary is but a moment, it is one that can be leveraged for far longer.
• Everything really is about tomorrow. An anniversary celebration should pay some homage to the past, but it’s really all about what is to come. Use it to signal and set up the next great leap forward in two ways: your response to trends that have challenged your mission or constituents (provide solutions), and to create a long-term and exciting vision that inspires involvement and philanthropy.

Everybody loves a party. And you should throw the grandest party ever to mark your nonprofit’s special birthday. But, instead of a hangover the next morning, you awake to a fresh and vision-driven new day.