Create a clear, creative plan for your anniversary, leadership transition, or major milestone — before you commit budget to an approach that leaves the real opportunity on the table.
The Anniversary Planning Lab is designed for nonprofits with a significant moment approaching — an anniversary, leadership transition, or major milestone.
You’re in the right place if:
- You sense this could be more than just a celebration but don’t have a creative plan yet
- You want to avoid spending significant budget on something forgettable
- You need fresh thinking, not just project management
- You want clarity: what’s actually possible, what would truly land, and what could keep delivering value long after the moment passes
It’s not right for:
- Organisations needing an immediate deliverable — we need time to think well
- Traditional event planning — that’s not what this is
What if your milestone could do more than mark the moment?
Milestone moments are rare. And they carry something most organisations don’t fully use: a natural readiness — in your team, your partners, your clients, your community — to stop, reflect, and contribute what they know.
When you gather that intelligence and put it to work, something shifts. The organisation doesn’t just celebrate what it’s been. It recognises what it’s become — and what it’s now capable of. That recognition is the engine. It’s what turns a milestone into momentum that carries you forward into the next chapter, faster and with more confidence than you’d have found any other way.
We need to truly recognise ourselves before others can. The Anniversary Planning Lab is where that recognition begins.
“Moya, thank you for your amazing work with us on our origin story and Living My Way’s 30th anniversary souvenir booklet. Those insights have brought new understanding about our Members and our beginnings that will impact our decisions well into the future.”
— Mark Turley, CEO, Living My Way
The people in your circle know more than you’ve had the chance to gather:
- Founders who remember the energy and drama of your beginnings
- Staff who see patterns you’ve stopped noticing — what’s working, what isn’t, and why
- Partners who understand what makes you different
- Clients whose lives have been changed in ways you’ve never properly captured
The Anniversary Planning Lab helps you see what’s possible — and plan for it — before you commit to an approach.
What you can expect.
The Anniversary Planning Lab is a focused, intensive working session. It’s
one and a half hours with Moya to help you develop a clear, creative, and achievable approach to mark your milestone moment.
We focus on one thing: deciding how to make the most of this milestone, given your organisation’s real constraints — time, budget, people, and capacity.
“Moya has the best instincts of anyone I’ve ever worked with in this space. She gets up to speed really quickly, has fabulous ideas and always takes me to a new space of possibility.”
— Jennifer Cummins, Executive Director, Heiress Films
Together, we work through:
- What you want this moment to achieve
- Who holds the intelligence you need
- What format would serve you best
- Where the creative potential and extra lasting benefits are waiting
- What’s realistic and worthwhile for your organisation
You leave with:
A creative concept and the Creative Directions Guide — a clear sense of what’s possible and how to get there.
- A session recording for your team to reference
- Clear next steps with email support on whether to implement yourself, partner with Moya or have it done for you
How the Planning Lab works.
Before the session
Reflect on your own capacity, priorities and wish-list with the pre-Lab questions. Share your responses with Moya so she can bring her best creative thinking and years of experience to your session.
The session — 1.5 hours
We dig into the potential waiting in your your milestone moment, shape the creative approach, and finalise your plan: what you’re creating, who you’re talking to, timeline, budget, next steps.
After
You are now on your way. We have created your unique plan and essential best practice guidance for implementation: whether you do it yourself, work with support, or have it done for you.
The Anniversary Planning Lab
gives you a plan you can act on.
From there, organisations choose one of three paths:
Do It Yourself
Some teams take the plan and implement it internally, using the clarity gained and the workbook to guide their work.
Do It With Support
Others work with Moya as a guide and sounding board — drawing on her experience to troubleshoot, refine, and stay focused.
Done For You
A small number of organisations ask Only Human Stories to deliver the work end-to-end.
“Bonnie’s has grown so much since working with Moya and Only Human Stories. We have found our voice — and it speaks loud and clear to the people we want to reach. We have seen a massive increase in partners, volunteers and sponsors since our origin story re-branding.”
— Tracy Phillips, Executive Officer, Bonnie Support Services
Common Questions
How far in advance should we book the Planning Lab?
The sooner the better — ideally before you’ve locked into an approach. That said, if your moment is closer than you’d like, don’t let that stop you. Even with less lead time, a clear plan is far better than an unclear one. We’ll work with where you are.
What if we don't have a big budget?
The Anniversary Planning Lab helps you figure out what’s realistic for the budget you do have. Some of the best, most relationship-rich anniversaries have small budgets attached. We’ll develop a plan that makes sense for your resources — whether that’s $5K or $50K.
Do we need to know what we want to do already?
No. That’s what the Planning Lab is for — to discover what’s possible and the cascading benefits that follow. Many organisations arrive with ‘maybe an event and a booklet?’ and leave with something more creative and strategic than they expected.
What if our board hasn't approved budget yet?
Then this is perfect timing. The Anniversary Planning Lab gives you a scoped concept, making it much easier to get approval. In our experience, once the board sees what’s possible, the budget often increases beyond expectations.
Can we implement the plan ourselves?
Absolutely. The workbook and plan are designed so you can do it yourself if you have capacity. Many organisations do. Others want support and come back for coaching, creative support, or done-for-you delivery.
What's the time commitment for us?
Around 2 -3 hours all up: 30 minutes pre-session questions , the 1.5 hour session itself, and your consideration of next steps with email support as needed.
Why this approach works
I’m Moya Sayer-Jones. I work with nonprofits, helping them stand out using the real voices, ideas, and knowledge of the people they work with and for.
I’ve spent 20 years specialising in milestone moments: anniversaries, leadership transitions, re-branding, major shifts. Much of that work centres on origin story work — helping organisations rediscover their DNA, forgotten strengths and what makes them fundamentally different.
Our work always begins with questions and a fresh slate. What do you have? What do you want? What do you need to keep moving into the future?
This Anniversary Planning Lab is based on that same exploratory process. We wanted an easy and affordable way to bring creative strategy to more nonprofits: regardless of their size, budget and skills.
The Planning Lab works with where you are right now. It helps you imagine more of what’s possible before assuming what’s not.
“Moya’s enthusiasm made success possible — she inspired others and energised the project team. Her wealth of experience and expertise was invaluable.”
— Eamon Waterford, CEO, Committee for Sydney (formerly UnitingCare)
“This has been a heartwarming and illuminating process. We’ve discovered many of the things we are most proud of today — and that reflect the same impulses, ambitions and values that created us in the very beginning.”
— Suzanne Colbert AM, CEO, Australian Network on Disability
Investment
Anniversary Planning Lab: from $1,750 + GST
Includes:
- One 1.5 hour intensive working session
- Up to 3 people from your organisation
- Session recording
- Creative Directions Guide
Logistics:
- Virtual session via Zoom
- Session Recording provided for your team
This is concentrated access to expertise that typically comes only with full project design and delivery — focused on the most critical stage of your planning.
An Invitation
If you have an important moment ahead and want to approach it with clarity and confidence, the Anniversary Planning Lab is where to begin.
You don’t need all the answers yet. You do need a way to choose a direction that makes sense for your organisation — and creates something that keeps working long after the day itself.