Unpopular Truth about Birthdays and Fundraising

13 Oct Unpopular Truth about Birthdays and Fundraising

14 October 2025

By David Allen, Development for Conservation

Cold water time. Ready?

Nobody cares about your birthday more than you do. (Not even your mother.)

In fact, for the vast majority of people you have met during the years since your actual “birth” day, your annual celebration doesn’t even register. Even for those who care about you a lot.

They care about who you have become. What you’ve done. And to some extent, who you’ve surrounded yourself with.

But not how many times the Earth has orbited the sun since you came into being.

So why do we imagine that it’s any different for your organization?

There were lots of land trust organizations that picked up their 501c3 papers in the late 1990s. And they’re all turning 25 about now. I’m watching land trust after land trust spend months planning anniversary events.

Because it feels like turning 25 should be a big deal.

But it’s not.

Nobody cares.

(Sorry about that.)

It feels like it should be different – because we’re human, right? Turning 25 is “one of the big ones.” 25^th wedding anniversaries are rare enough to be noteworthy. They are milestones – and we vividly remember every mile. A celebration is an opportunity to reflect back on those miles.

The same dynamics are at play with land trusts. And they have about the same level of interest for others.

Fleeting.

Think about it this way: Half or more of the people who gave us money last year were in their first two years of association. A quarter or less were giving five years ago. Not one of these donors will be more motivated to give because the organization turned 25 years old. Further, no one outside that circle will be motivated to make a first gift because the organization turned 25 years old.

Further yet, while the organization was madly making anniversary plans, what could have been productively done instead?

The anniversary is not a marketing hook. It’s a distraction.

People give money because they believe that their gift will make a difference. That what you are doing is something they want to see done. Turning 25 doesn’t make the list.

Here are five things you can do that will make a bigger impression on donors than organizing a series of events or launching a marketing campaign that celebrates your 25^th year:

1. Protect (or restore, or steward) another piece of land, and ask members and donors to help financially.
2. Host a series of “Land Trust Days” events designed to help people and families discover the places your land trust has been able to protect. Maybe even create a “stamp book” for people who “collect” preserves that they have visited.
3. Reconnect with as many Board members (and staff members, too) from 25 years ago and from the years since then. Ask them to reflect on their years of service, focusing on the factors that motivated them in the first place. If possible, videotape, or at least record their stories.
4. Record birthday messages from institutional funders (foundation, business, and agency) that include the reasons making grants to your organization is important for them. Release these messages over a two-week period either around Earth Day or in mid-September – in other words, just prior to your seasonal appeal letters. (You’ll need at least eight to make this work.)
5. Plan and launch a major gift or capital campaign effort to raise money in a concentrated way for a suite of new land conservation projects. For this to work with an anniversary, you would need to have launched the quiet phase of the campaign during the year or two preceding the 50^th That way the announcement would coincide with a birthday celebration.

There will be many more ideas with similar themes.

What each of these ideas has in common is that the emphasis is on the land. On the accomplishment of having protected that land. On the public recognition of those accomplishments from community leaders. And on the individual and community engagement in that protection effort. In other words, the emphasis is on the mission.

People care about who you have become. What you’ve done. And to some extent, who you’ve surrounded yourself with.

Not how long you’ve been around.

So, celebrate with your Board, staff, and closest friends. Have a birthday party!

But make it quick. Don’t imagine it will motivate giving. And then go back to doing what you do – conserving land.

Cheers, and have a great week!

-da

Most of this post was originally published in November 2020.

PS: Other things we think are important that donors could care less about? Your fiscal year is ending. Your acreage under easement has crossed some arbitrary threshold – like 5,000 acres. You were awarded a state grant. All these things are nice things. And they help with branding and credibility for those who have already decided they like you. They just don’t stimulate giving.

PSS:  Your comments on these posts are welcomed and warmly requested. If you have not posted a comment before, or if you are using a new email address, please know that there may be a delay in seeing your posted comment. That’s my SPAM defense at work. I approve all comments as soon as I am able during the day.

Photo by David Maw courtesy Pixabay