What Are Milestone Points?
Milestone Points let you reward work anniversaries and birthdays automatically, so no one's big day slips through the cracks. You decide how many points each milestone is worth, and Donut sends them on schedule.
How it works:
Set a flat amount for every year, or give bigger rewards for milestone years like year 5 or year 10
Recipients redeem their points in your Rewards Store (if enabled)
How to Set Up Milestone Points
Go to Admin tools → Shoutouts & Points > Milestone Points in the Donut dashboard
To set up automatic birthday and anniversary points, go to the Annual Events tab.
Use the toggles to turn on Anniversary Points, Birthday Points, or both
Choose how points are awarded: a flat amount each year, or custom amounts for specific milestone years
Customize the message teammates receive
Choose who's included (see below)
That's it! Donut sends each milestone automatically, and you can preview what's coming up at any time.
Note: Your settings save automatically as you go. Look for the green confirmation banner at the top to confirm.
Choosing Who's Included
How Donut finds anniversary and birthday dates depends on whether you've connected an HRIS.
Everyone: Donut pulls dates from both your HRIS (if connected) and your Celebrations dates. Anyone with a date in either source is eligible.
Filter by role type from HRIS: Donut pulls dates only from your HRIS. You can then include or exclude specific role types like full-time, part-time, contractor, or intern. The available role types match exactly what's set up in your HRIS.
Note: When you filter by role type from HRIS, anyone who isn't in your HRIS won't be eligible for Milestone Points, even if they have a Celebrations date.
Preview and Track Milestones
Upcoming Events: see every scheduled milestone or bonus event going forward, so you always know what's about to send.
Event History: review every milestone or bonus event that's already gone out, including who received it and when.
Why Use Milestone Points?
Never miss a moment: Anniversaries and birthdays send automatically, on schedule
Flexible tenure-based recognition: Give more points for bigger milestones, so year 10 feels different from year 1
FAQs
What plans include Milestone Points?
Milestone Points is available on Standard and Premium plans.
Who can use Milestone Points?
Anyone with Shoutouts & Points admin access on your plan.
Do I need an HRIS to use it?
No. If you don't have an HRIS connected, Donut uses your Celebrations dates. Connecting an HRIS unlocks role-type filtering.
Can I give different point amounts for different years?
Yes. Choose a flat amount for every year, or set custom amounts for specific milestone years.
How is this different from Bonus Events?
Milestone Points are automatic and recurring. Bonus Events are manual, one-off sends for special occasions like a promotion.