Your Guide to Using the Love my Museum Planning Calendar
Museum professionals know the power of planning. From exhibitions and programs to fundraising and daily operations, thoughtful planning shapes visitor experiences and supports your team throughout the year. A solid plan isn’t just about staying organized. It’s about making space for creativity, reducing stress, and serving your community with intention.
That’s why I created the Love my Museum Planning Calendar for Museums. This free tool helps you take a clear, strategic look at the months ahead so you can set priorities, stay aligned as a team, and build momentum one step at a time. It’s become one of my most popular free resources, and I hope it becomes part of your annual rhythm too.
And here’s the best part! You don’t need a “perfect moment” or a new January to start. Begin anytime. Planning is a cycle; hop on at any time!
Why This Calendar? The Power of Long-Term Planning
Museums have a lot on their plates and often with a small team. Without regular, structured planning, even thoughtful ideas can fall through the cracks. A yearly planning calendar gives you a wide-lens view of what matters most. It helps you anchor major initiatives, coordinate across departments, and protect your team’s time and energy. When everyone can see the big picture, collaboration becomes easier and planning feels less reactive.
Think of this calendar as your museum’s compass for the year: a tool to help you stay balanced, focused, and connected to your mission.
The Story Behind the Calendar
In 2020, when my museum clients had to close their doors, I pivoted my work to support online business owners and noticed they approached planning in layers; breaking down annual plans into quarters, months, and weeks. When museums reopened, I taught these techniques to my museum clients, helping them develop more manageable, phased-out plans with more realistic and focused goals that they visited frequently throughout the year. The plans we put together weren’t something that we just looked at once, we came back to them again and again. This inspired me to create the Love my Museum Planning Calendar, which now helps museum teams plan beyond just exhibitions. We look for ways to support the community and build your museum's brand identity.
Step-By-Step: Getting Started with the Planning Calendar
Ready to dive in? Here’s a quick start guide to make the most of this year’s calendar.
Download and Prepare the Love my Museum Calendar
First, download the calendar. You can click here or on the button at the bottom of this post. Once you fill out the form, you’ll receive the calendar in your email inbox. Open it on your computer or print it if you prefer to work on paper. Give yourself a moment to flip through the months and get a feel for the layout.
Map Out Your Annual and Seasonal Priorities
Next spend a few moments jotting down all known dates for this year at your museum in the notes section at the bottom of the corresponding month. You might have things to add, like signature events, exhibition openings, annual programs, holiday tours, and fundraising galas. More than likely, these things are your museum’s priorities. Noting these in advance lets you allocate resources wisely and plan for the busy times so you can avoid overbooking your team.
Explore Monthly Themes and Notable Dates
Each month includes notable observances and themes you might highlight in exhibits, tours, or communications. Note any relevant artifacts, stories, or partnerships to explore.
Break Down Planning by Quarters, Months, and Weeks
Let the calendar serve as your 30,000-foot view. From there, break plans into quarters, months, and weeks. This approach keeps big goals visible while making them manageable.
Use the Calendar as a Guide for your Media Outreach
Having ideas ready for special dates and themes also provides a great starting point for press pitches. Local media are often looking for timely, interesting stories. Use the monthly pages to mark potential media pitches and prepare your press releases well in advance.
Keeping Your Team on the Same Page
Including your team in the planning process is essential for museum success. Use this calendar as a collaborative tool. Clear communication of museum-wide priorities makes it easier to coordinate efforts and support colleagues across departments.
Let’s Get Started
By setting clear, strategic priorities and taking a layered approach to planning, you can make this an amazing year for your museum. With the Love my Museum Planning Calendar, you’ll have a clear roadmap to guide your events, exhibits, and initiatives, making sure every detail supports your mission and serves your community.
