Year-End In Your Community: Reflect, Celebrate, and Plan for 2026
This webinar walks through practical ways to close out your community year with intention and set yourself up for a strong start in the new year.
In this session, we cover:
- How to run a meaningful year-end review that goes beyond dashboards.
- What “community resolutions” actually matter and which ones don’t.
- How to use Discourse Rewind as a reflection and engagement tool.
- Planning ahead without falling into the resolution trap.
- A behind-the-scenes look at how we approach year-end at Discourse.
Replay below:
Quick Takeaways
1. Start with the story, not the stats
Dashboards don’t tell you what actually mattered. The most useful year-end reviews connect metrics to real moments, behaviors, and conversations that shaped the community.
2. Wins, challenges, and surprises all matter
Progress is clearer when you name what worked, where momentum stalled, and what caught you off guard. The surprises often reveal more than the wins.
3. Avoid the resolution trap
Not every goal that looks good on a slide is worth pursuing. Strong community priorities are tied to outcomes members care about, not just numbers that are easy to report.
4. Buy-in isn’t optional
Communities don’t survive without internal support. Year-end reviews are a chance to align stakeholders around the value your community actually delivers.
5. Recognition fuels engagement
Celebrating contributors, even in small ways, reinforces connection and loyalty. Appreciation doesn’t have to be expensive to be meaningful.
6. Plan early, stay flexible
Start planning for the next year in Q4, not January. Set a clear direction, but expect to adjust as your community evolves.
7. Use tools that make reflection easy
Features like Discourse Rewind and the Yearly Review plugin help turn reflection into something members actually enjoy engaging with.
