Use Your Milestones (Everyone Has Them)

We’re celebrating 30 years of Binky Patrol Comforting Covers for Kids this year. Carolyn Berndt has hosted our big anniversary parties since we started – she did our 10th, our 20th, last summer she did a spontaneous gathering for South Orange County. This time we’re going big. Pool party at her place in Thousand Oaks. All Southern California chapters invited. Volunteers, recipients, the organizations we deliver to, everyone.

Miriam’s flying in from Nebraska. Jeanne’s flying in from Connecticut. I’m flying down from Oregon. This doesn’t happen often, so we’re making it count.

But here’s the thing: you don’t need to be at 30 years to throw a meaningful gathering. Any milestone works if you use it right.

What counts as a milestone?

  • Founding anniversary (5, 10, 20, 25 years, whatever you’ve got)
  • Service achievements (1000th animal adopted, millionth meal served, 500th kid tutored)
  • Geographic expansion (first chapter in a new county or state)
  • Major grant or award
  • Recognition for a founder or key volunteer
  • Surviving a really hard year counts too

The point isn’t the number. The point is bringing people together, telling stories, and using the momentum to recruit the next wave of volunteers and donors.

Here’s what we’re learning as we plan ours:

Pick a date far enough out that people can actually plan for it. Six months minimum. We picked Carolyn’s house because she’s been with us forever and it means something that we’re back there – oh, and she invited us. You could do a park, a community center, a church basement, wherever makes sense for your budget and your people.

Decide what kind of event fits your culture. We’re doing a pool party because that’s who we are – casual, family-friendly, come as you are. You might do a formal gala, a BBQ, a picnic, whatever feels authentic. Don’t try to be fancier than you actually are.

Make a real guest list. Volunteers, yes. But also partners, recipients (if appropriate), donors, board members, people who’ve been there from the start, and people you want to recruit. Mix the old guard with the new people. That’s where the magic happens. When they all swap stories, you may have forgotten what it was like to be new, and you may have forgotten some doozy stories! We laugh so hard we cry when we do this. Bellyache laughs at the experiments, missteps and touching stories from delivering blankets.

Send the save-the-date months out. Create a simple event page or Facebook event. Send the formal invitation 6-8 weeks before. Include an RSVP system and ask about dietary needs. Send a reminder two weeks out. Send final details three days before. Over-communicate. People are busy.

Here’s what works at the actual event:

Keep the program simple. Welcome remarks, yes. Volunteer testimonials, yes. Beneficiary stories if you can swing it, definitely yes. Founder reflection on how far you’ve come. But don’t make it all speeches. People want to connect with each other.

Build in interaction. For us, that might be a craft project. For you, maybe it’s a tour, a demo, a chance to see your work in action. Give people something to do together, not just sit and listen.

Create photo opportunities. Not just for Instagram, but so people remember they were part of something. Have someone dedicated to documentation. Record testimonials on video. Get group shots. Capture B-roll of people talking and laughing. You’ll use this content for months.

Recognize specific people, but don’t make it weird. Thank the volunteers who’ve been there longest. Acknowledge the partners who make your work possible. Celebrate the recipients who came back to tell their story. Make people feel seen.

End with a call to action. This celebration is great, but here’s what we’re doing next. Here’s how you can be part of it. Here’s what we need. Don’t waste the momentum.

After the event, move fast. Thank you emails within a week. Photo album shared with everyone who came. Highlight video for social media. Blog post or newsletter about the event. Most importantly, follow up with the new people who showed interest. Convert that energy into actual volunteers and donors before it fades.

Then use everything from this event in your future marketing. The testimonials, the photos, the stories, the proof that you’ve been doing this work and doing it well. That’s gold for grant applications and fundraising and volunteer recruitment.

One more thing: plan the date for your next big milestone before this one ends. It gives people something to look forward to and keeps you thinking long-term.