What Monthly Events Should You Incorporate into Your Organization’s Calendar?

We all know that in-person programs and events are a great way to connect with your community. They can draw people into your community center who wouldn’t otherwise find you. Piggybacking on seasonal or themed days/months, such as American Heart Month or National Ice Cream Day, is a quick way to attract attention. It’s also a good idea to come up with interesting and creative events to incorporate into your planning.

We put together a list of fun, intergenerational ideas that might help your events calendar get noticed all year long.

Making Connections: Ideas for Community Center Events

• Events that honor your area’s heritage: There is so much you can do with this idea! Most communities have rich histories that might not be well-known to local residents. Think about the roots of your city or town, and what you can do to spotlight how the area got its start. Talk with city planners or the librarian who covers the history section at your library. You might even find this has the potential to become an annual event.

• Fundraisers for local charities: Many nonprofit organizations have a core group of loyal supporters who attend as many events that benefit the charity as possible. One way to bring more people to your center is by organizing a fundraiser and hosting it at your location. Your agency could even share the money raised with several area nonprofits. The event could be as simple or elaborate as you’d like. A car wash combined with a baked sale couldn’t be any easier, especially if you get scouting troops to help do the dirty work. A craft beer tasting or fall soup competition might provide you with an opportunity to get nearby businesses involved.
  
  
•  Host a seasonal farmer’s market: In recent years, farmer’s markets have surged in popularity. People love buying local produce in an open-air market close to home. But it’s not just fruits and vegetables that bring shoppers in. They are also buying baked goods, cut flowers, seasonal plants, handmade soaps, and more. While organizing a weekly market will require an investment of your team members’ time, it might be an effective strategy for making lasting connections with your community.
  
  
• Offer skill development classes: Another suggestion is to offer classes that are free or nominally priced. While art workshops are a good way to allow local residents to get to know you, offering classes that build skills might attract a different audience. Computer training on topics of interest to seniors, such as tips for using Facebook safely or email basics, might be especially beneficial.
  
  
• Incorporate wellness events: People of all ages are interested in health and wellness topics ranging from activities that nurture the spirit to hands-on workshops for family caregivers. You could incorporate a few of these into your schedule each quarter. CPR workshops, a health fair, a meditation class, and even a skin care program led by a dermatologist might be well-received.
  
  
• Host an open mike night: You can lighten up your monthly schedule by organizing programs such as an open mike night. This is another event that can be as simple or as elaborate as you choose. Make sure you set clear rules ahead of time on the types of acts that are welcome and any parameters they need to follow. For example, if there will be children or teens in attendance, make comedians aware foul language and inappropriate behavior won’t be welcome.

• Hold author nights: While you may not attract big-name authors like Stephen King or James Patterson, inviting local and regional authors to come and talk about their book can make for an interesting program. As more authors are self-publishing, you’ll likely find many who are excited about the opportunity. If your team is social media savvy, you could also reach more people by going live on Facebook or Instagram during the event.

We hope this helps give you some fresh ideas as you finish up your programming calendar for next year. If you need graphics to support any of these calendar items, we’ve got you covered with WeCreate, your digital library for every content need. If you stop back later this month, we’ll be sharing a few tips for promoting your calendar of events!