25 Volunteer Appreciation Ideas
1. Tweet a thank you! It's easy, start with this sample >> Huge THANKS to all our awesome #volunteers! We celebrate YOU this week especially for all the amazing GOOD you do. #NVW
2. SAY thank you! When you run into volunteers on site or parents helping out in school, stop, smile and say 'thank you for all you do!'
3. Thank parent volunteers on the morning announcements. Kids love to hear how the special people who help in their classroom get recognized; ask staff to allow for this extra time during NVW.
4. Thank you cake - yum! Or cookies, or brownies, or any other delicious treat - say thank you with a homemade baked good that shows how much you care.
5. Facebook thank you shout! Post a quick thank you shout, a picture or link back to a special thank you section of your group/school's website.
6. Hand-written thank you note. Simple but thoughtful, a handwritten thank you note gives your stellar volunteers something to hold on to. Tips HERE
7. Thank you video. Make a quick 30 second thank-you shout out on your smartphone that you can share on your social channels with Tout or Viddy; or put together a quick (free) slideshow with music, text and pictures using Animoto.
8. Special thank you mention in newspaper. Contact your local paper or e-publications and see if there is free space available to dedicate to thanking your volunteers.
9. Thank you gift! Don't go crazy, but small meaningful tokens never hurt when saying thanks - goodie bags, photo placemats, personalized mugs, etc. More ideas on Pinterest
10. Pin a thank you. Are your volunteers or school parents pinning? Pin a special thank you image and link to it on all your other social channels.
11. Thank you email! Make it short, sweet, to the point and full of love!
12. Send a VolunteerSpot thank you note. It's easy to send a quick thank you message from your VolunteerSpot signup to all the wonderful volunteers who helped with your activity. More info here
13. Thank you formation. Check out the picture on the left! Is your school or nonprofit staff up for something awesome like this to show your volunteers how much they're loved?
14. Thank you latte! You got that right, a "latte" love to go around! Hit up the local coffee shop and get a delicious sweet latte to surprise your star volunteer on their day to help out!
15. Appreciation party. Rock out a serious appreciation party with fun games, good food, photo booths and a special time to recognize volunteers in person.
16. Thank you brunch or potluck. Delicious food and good drink is a great way to spend time and recognize your star volunteers. Coordinate people to bring food and setup/clean up with VolunteerSpot's free online sign up sheets.
17. Certificate of appreciation. Free, colorful printables can do no wrong; print off these certificates and awards for your appreciation party or meal to show special recognition to your volunteers. Free printables here
18. Thank you gift card! Small or large, it's hard to go wrong with a gift card! Unless you know a specific store your star volunteers would prefer go general with a gas gift card, Amazon, Walmart or Target.
19. Thank you graffiti wall. Paper one wall at your school or in your organization's building and leaving markers and sharpies for volunteers and staff to write down their thoughts of appreciation.
20. Thank you with chocolate! Go gourmet or bake it in, you simply can't go wrong in spreading the love and appreciation than with chocolate. Great ideas here
21. Thank you photo album. Online or off, a picture is worth a thousand words! Create photo albums with Facebook, Flikr or Shutterfly; or go old school with a scrapbook theme and binder.
22. Thank you flowers! Whether it's one big bouquet, or a flower a day from class students or organization staff, flowers are always a beautiful way to show volunteers how they help their community "bloom."
23. Love bomb their door or desk. Have staff handwrite thank you post-its and stick them all over your volunteer's car! Ideas here
24. Flash Mob/Dance Party. Coordinate a synchronized flash mob dance routine to surprise volunteers, or simply show up with some sweet jams and a boom box for an impromptu dance party to say thanks!
25. Mini Carnival. Host a day of outdoor carnival fun with games, activities, food and free prizes for volunteers! Game ideas here
Check out more FAB ideas in our free eBook:
