7 Unique Ways to Say Thank You to your Volunteers

Today's guest blogger is Roger Carr of Charity Walks Blog. His post below was originally published to speak to Charity Walk leaders, but the sentiment is universal for all of us that coordinate volunteers. Thanks Roger! Appropriate volunteer recognition will help keep your volunteers motivated and interested in supporting your organization for many years to come.

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Are you ready to kick up your volunteer recognition program and notch? Try some of the following unique ways to thank your volunteers:

1. Write a thank you note to the volunteer’s spouse or parents. A volunteer sacrifices his or her time in support of your nonprofit organization. The volunteer is typically not the only one making a sacrifice. A spouse may have to pick up extra duties. A parent may have to drive the child to and from each meeting and event. Think about others who are inconvenienced  providing support to a volunteer and send them a thank you note.
2. Write a letter of recognition to the volunteer’s supervisor or school. Businesses and schools consider community service important. Volunteering can aid a person in pursuing a career. Volunteering can also a student when being considered for certain classes and also what it comes time to apply for college or a job. Make sure you notify the volunteers’ supervisors and schools regarding the great support you’re receiving and the impact that it is making.
3. Track the volunteer’s hours of service and submit for the President’s Volunteer Service Award. It doesn’t take as many volunteer hours as you might think to qualify for the award. Go to PresidentialServiceAwards.gov to learn more about the award.
4. Create a volunteer photo wall. And a space to display photos of your volunteers. They can be studio shots or captured in action. Volunteers will be scrambling to find their photo on the wall every time they see it.
5. Invite volunteers to observe or participate in organization meetings and training events. Volunteers should be considered an extension of the nonprofit organization staff. By allowing them to participate in some of the organization’s other activities, they create a stronger bond with the organization and water and more about the impact the organization is making. This in turn results in a more dedicated (and appreciative) volunteer.
6. Send handwritten thank you notes from individuals who have been directly helped by the organization. My most prized thank you came in the form of a handwritten note from a young girl who was helped by the organization I supported. This is a powerful way to show their appreciation to volunteers.
7. Nominate volunteers for community service awards. Search for community service awards in your area and nominate deserving volunteers who support your efforts. United Way is one organization that has such awards. You should also consider creating your own volunteer awards that can be presented annually to your most capable and dedicated volunteers.

Your charity walks would not be successful without motivated volunteers. Regularly find ways to let your volunteers know that you are grateful for the time and energy they contribute to your cause.

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For more resources for Charity Walk leaders, please visit Roger Carr's Charity Walks blog at www.charitywalksblog.com.  We'd like to remind our readers that another important way to thank volunteers is to make it elegantly easy for them to participate in service in the first place.  VolunteerSpot's free and easy online volunteer scheduling system saves time and makes it simple for people to sign up to help!

Want more creative ideas for saying thank you to volunteers?  Please see our free eBook: Volunteer Recognition from A-Z. 

Comments

[Momof3]

#s 1 and 6 especially resonated with me. Thanks for the thoughtful list and for the gem of a website that VolunteerSpot is.