1. Make sure they have the essentials.
Your volunteers are your responsibility. If it’s going to be cold outside, make sure they have access to a jacket and umbrella. If it’s hot, make sure that they have a hat sunscreen and water. If you don’t have the resources to provide additional gear, keep your eye on the weather apps and make sure to inform the volunteers to bring the right attire for their shift so that they’ve not left shivering in the cold. 2. Personal protective gear. In today’s climate, providing access to personal protective gear is a must. Why not put together a PPE kit for all your volunteers including hand sanitiser, masks, and gloves to ensure that you’re COVID-19 compliant and that your volunteers feel safe and comfortable completing their shift. 3. Provide a means to get in touch. Don’t leave volunteers at their post in the morning and pick them up at the end of the day assuming that they’ll ‘be okay. Make sure that your volunteers have a means to get in touch (mobile number or radio) should they need to get in touch. 4. Volunteer uniforms. Create volunteer uniforms that volunteers actually want to wear and keep. Engage a local artist each year to design the t-shirt and make them collectable. Also make sure that you capture things like preferred sizes during registration so that you order the right sizes for your team. 5. Volunteer Badges. One great way to encourage repeat volunteering is through a badge, which can be redeemed against hours volunteered. Volunteers can then add these to their t-shirt or hat as a badge of honour (pun intended.) for their service. 6. Free Food. It’s the simple things that make people happy and food is one of them. Make sure your volunteers have snacks, lunch and water. Why not throw in a special treat like a cookie from the local bakery with ‘THANKS’ messaging to show them you really care. 7. Volunteer breakfast. Take it one step further and cook up a hot breakfast for your volunteers. Nothing says thanks for getting out of bed early like a cup of coffee and bacon and eggs. Or even brainstorm some volunteer appreciation dinner ideas. 8. Discounted event tickets. Partner with local businesses to offer discounted tickets to provide a reward for volunteers. It could be for outstanding effort, Volunteer of the Month or to mark an anniversary. You could consider Billabong Zoo, Majestic Cinema, Hydro Golf and Putt Putt, The Wave Bowl, Facade Escape Room, Paintball etc. 9. Track their hours. Volunteers often choose to volunteer to help build up their skills and expertise, with hours often required to be recorded and approved. Make sure that you have a system in place that enables you to check in and out your volunteers in real time and that volunteers can access these timesheets afterwards. 10. Video from CEO or Volunteer Manager. A great way to show your appreciation is by delivering a recorded message to your volunteers thanking them for their time. Videos like these can be a great way to highlight the impact of their time which might come in the form of fundraising updates, key milestones achieved and general event feedback. |
11. Video from community groups.
A big reason why volunteers choose to volunteer is to give back in meaningful ways. For not-for-profits or events who work directly with community groups, a video message from the community group at which they have served thanking them for their services goes a long way in showing your appreciation. 12. Cards/eCards. Why not send a personalised card to each of your volunteers thanking them for their time and efforts. Depending on your budget you can send them an eCard, send a card by mail or make a card on your computer and email it to all your volunteers which will cost you nothing. 13. Phone call. With everything that has been happening over the past few years, people value human interactions. One of the best ways that you can show your appreciation is to personally call each of your volunteers to say thanks. 14. Volunteer of the Month. A great way to champion volunteers is through a newsletter that highlights the amazing work of your volunteer community. A newsletter provides a great platform to provide updates on fundraising targets, event updates and to promote upcoming opportunities but more than that, it provides an opportunity to shine the spotlight on the great work that they do. 15. Set up a Volunteer Group Chat. A great way to connect your volunteers with each other is to set up a group chat on social media where volunteers can jump in and write messages, share photos and make connections. A bonded team is a productive team. 16. Create a Yearbook. So many great memories are created volunteering, why not capture this with a volunteer yearbook filled with images, stories and reflections on the year that was. This could be digital or better still, invest in a printed copy for each of your volunteers. 17. Celebrate milestones. Celebrate anniversaries with your organisation, key milestones and birthdays by sending your volunteers personalised communications that show that you acknowledge their time and commitment and that they truly are a valued part of the team. 18. Host a trivia night. Volunteer appreciation games are an awesome way to connect with your volunteers and whether it's virtual or in person, trivia is always a winner, allowing you to get to know everyone in an informal environment and most importantly, have some fun. 19. Volunteer appreciation social media posts. Celebrate and acknowledge your volunteers with shout outs via your socials. Whether it’s Facebook, Instagram or Snapchat volunteers love a bit of public appreciation. This also provides a great opportunity for volunteers to share posted content, spreading this to their networks far and wide. 20. Throw a volunteer appreciation event. At the end of the year a great way to celebrate your volunteers is with an appreciation party. Offer prizes, provide access to excess merchandise and provide some great food and entertainment. Most important of all, don’t forget to say THANK YOU. |
3. Implement a Peer-to-Peer Kudos System
Peer recognition is a genuine expression of commendation and appreciation between coworkers. Employees have three basic needs from their organisation: doing purposeful work, having an awareness of the things happening in the company, and gaining recognition for their work. Giving a volunteer a kudos is an easy way to personally recognise that they’ve done an excellent job. Your staff likely already do this periodically, but you can recognise more volunteers on a regular basis by developing a kudos system. A peer-to-peer kudos system provides a simple, structured way for managers, supervisors, and volunteers to recognise each other’s work and accomplishments. Set up a system using sticky notes, an appreciation board in your office, or eCards. Anyone can place a sticky note on the board or directly send someone an eCard to give them a kudos. By letting volunteers recognise each other, you’ll create a culture of encouragement and appreciation. 5. Give Small Gifts for Special Occasions
Take inspiration from companies who give their staff gifts to encourage engagement—give small appreciation gifts to your volunteers. Consider these natural opportunities to send out volunteer gifts:
These gifts don’t have to take up much room in your budget. Send extra branded merchandise like t-shirts or hats, or ask for donated gift cards from local businesses you regularly partner with. Volunteers will appreciate any gift, no matter how small, as a symbol of your gratitude. 7. Draw for Better Parking
Every week, supervisors could nominate a volunteer to get a reserved parking spot right by the front door. This system will be especially exciting if your lot is small and parking is often a challenge. Draw randomly for a chance-based thank-you effort or create a rotating schedule so everyone gets a chance to enjoy the privilege. |
2. Create a Volunteer Yearbook
Volunteer yearbooks are a great way to celebrate volunteers’ work, highlight special memories, and share their impact on your organisation’s mission. After all, even if a volunteer can only get involved for a short period of time, they still make important contributions to your organisation and develop friendships while completing their service. To create a volunteer yearbook, follow these steps:
4. Throw a Party
There’s nothing quite like throwing a party with free food to bring people together and keep volunteers engaged by recognising volunteer accomplishments. You can throw parties to appreciate longstanding volunteers, welcome new volunteers, or celebrate the completion of a major project or the end of year. People will love the chance to catch up before heading their separate ways. 6. Host an Awards Banquet
If you have the resources, level up one of your parties to host an awards banquet for volunteers. Follow the same premise of a party, except on a more formal scale. Arrange for food catering and ask everyone to dress up for the event. Invite volunteers, their families, staff members, and maybe even your clients or beneficiaries to attend the dinner and award presentation ceremony. Awards could include “Most Enthusiastic,” “Most Inspirational,” and other themes along those lines. Give away group awards to encourage team bonding and recognise those who work well together. These awards will lead to better interpersonal connections and an improved sense of recognition among your volunteers. 8. Start a Social Media shoutout Series
To retain exceptional volunteers and recruit new volunteers using social media, create a regular series of volunteer shoutouts on one of your nonprofit’s accounts. Send out a quick survey to see which volunteers are interested in sharing their stories with the public. Then, conduct interviews to ask questions like:
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