If you’re engaging volunteers in your organization,
you need a plan for recognizing them.
This short video introduces the Fundamentals
of Volunteer Recognition to help you develop
appropriate ways to recognize and thank your
volunteers.
My name is Erin Barnhart.
As president of Effective Altruism, I help
organizations worldwide develop more effective
volunteer engagement.
I also teach volunteer management to VISTA
members.
Suffice it to say that I am passionate about
meaningful, effective volunteer mobilization!
Now let’s talk briefly about learning goals.
By the end of this videocast, I’d like for
you to be able to:
Describe why volunteer recognition is important
Identify several recognition strategies and
show how they support volunteer motivation
Select recognition activities that fit your
budget, capacity, and needs of your volunteers
At first glance, it might seem that recognizing
volunteers is not that important, given all
the demands on an organization.
But there is ample evidence that recognition
really matters to the success of a volunteer
program.
Specifically, volunteers who feel valued and
appreciated are more likely to feel more of
a connection to and ownership of the organization
and its mission.
When volunteers have a strong relationship
with the organization and its mission, they
can also then become excellent community ambassadors
(and potential recruiters of new volunteers).
Volunteers who feel valued and appreciated
also tend to commit more time and energy to
roles and projects.
Likewise, as they develop trust with the organization
over time, they may also take on roles with
even greater responsibility.
Lastly, volunteers who feel appreciated are
likely to stay longer with an organization.
This is critical because, retaining high quality
volunteers takes significantly less time and
fewer resources than finding, matching, training,
and building relationships with new volunteers.
So there are lots of reasons why recognition
matters.
In fact, without recognition, a great volunteer
opportunity can turn into a negative experience.
While the vast majority of folks do not volunteer
specifically to be thanked, they *will* notice
when they are not recognized.
This happened to me.
A group of friends and I volunteered at a
Valentines dance for adults with developmental
disabilities.
It was an amazing night – we had so much
fun and really felt like we had an impact.
Yet, at the end of the night, as we were bubbling
over with inspiration and enthusiasm, the
volunteer manager just walked up to us and
flatly said, “once you sweep up, you can
go ahead and leave.”
It took all of the energy right out of the
room.
We were crestfallen.
Not because we needed the thanks – that
isn’t why we showed up and it didn’t change
the positivity of our experience – but it
was just so deflating to be treated like a
function rather than a team.
Keep this in mind when you consider recognition
as a part of your volunteer management practices.
It’s important to know that recognition
is more than just a thank you.
It’s important to say “thank you,” of
course, but that’s not enough.
So let’s look at other ways of recognizing
volunteers.
One of the main reasons people volunteer is
the desire to make a difference or to give
back.
Many people are seeking meaning in their lives
and volunteer service that makes an impact
is one way to find it.
Therefore, it’s important that recognition
includes some acknowledgement of the impact
the volunteers have made.
After all, while they’re not being paid,
they will almost certainly want to know their
service has some tangible value.
It is crucial that volunteers always know
why they are important to the mission of the
organization and how they have made an impact.
This is especially true for those roles that
might be a bit more behind the scenes.
Do you have people stuffing envelopes for
the day?
Make sure they know why this matters.
For example, “by stuffing these envelopes,
you are helping us to reach more potential
donors which, in turn, can lead to more funds
to help accomplish our mission.”
Connect the dots for them so that they can
clearly see how their individual actions have
helped moved the needle!
Another motivation is a personal connection
to or passion for an issue or a cause.
For example, many volunteers get involved
with health organizations like the cancer
society or heart association because they
or someone they love is affected.
Personal connections to specific issues are
powerful motivators.
Meaningful recognition for such volunteers
would help them see how they have personally
helped to make a difference for someone, how
they have improved the lives of others.
Some people volunteer so they can develop
new skills, or practice existing skills, as
well as explore a career path.
This is a powerful motivator for those just
starting off in their careers – for example,
students and recent graduates – as well
as individuals who are between jobs and want
to keep their skills sharp.
To recognize volunteers with this type of
motivation, offer them new opportunities as
they become more experienced so they can continue
to learn new skills and strengths, and to
prevent them from becoming bored.
Socializing and meeting people is another
powerful reason to volunteer, especially for
folks who are new to a community or who might
be experiencing a bit of isolation.
Volunteering is a great way to meet others
in structured activities, which can make it
a little less awkward to meet new people.
Recognition for such volunteers could highlight
the relationships and trust you have developed
with your volunteers, affirming them as individuals
and the value they have provided.
It could also take the form of social activities
that would allow them to meet and socialize
with a broader circle.
Lastly, don’t underestimate the importance
of having fun.
Volunteering can be a great way to contribute
time and energy to a worthy cause while also
doing something enjoyable.
Some people looking to volunteer will be doing
so just in the pursuit of fun!
While these are just a few of the more common
volunteer motivations you might encounter,
it’s important to note that these are not
mutually exclusive.
For example, someone might be seeking to gain
professional skills in a fun way at an organization
with which they have a personal connection.
Different volunteers will be motivated by
different factors.
For example, students may be more interested
in developing professional skills than retirees
are.
Don’t assume though – you likely won’t
know why someone is volunteering unless you
explicitly ask!
Which leads us to the bottom line: it is vital
that you get to know your volunteers to learn
more about what motivates them.
Explore the reasons they came to volunteer
and keep this in mind as you identify effective,
meaningful ways to engage them as partners
and recognize their efforts!
So how do you go about getting to know your
volunteers?
First and foremost, ask them how they would
like to be recognized.
Understanding what they would like is important
because for some people public recognition
would be an honor while, for others, it could
be embarrassing.
Also ask: what would be meaningful for them?
For example: for someone considering a career
in social work, an opportunity to meet with
the director of case management may be the
best kind of recognition they could receive.
For someone new to the area, a social event
where they can meet new people might be more
meaningful.
If you have a small volunteer population,
ask these questions one-on-one, preferably
as part of the interview process.
However, if you have lots of volunteers, a
simple online survey might be a more practical
way to gather this information.
Either way, be sure to store this information
in a way that allows you to keep track of
each volunteer’s preferences.
A few things to consider as you plot out your
volunteer recognition options.
First, what is your budget for recognition?
Some options – like handwritten cards – are
relatively inexpensive while others – annual
parties or social gatherings – can require
significantly more resources.
Make sure you have the funds needed for the
types of recognition you’d like to offer.
Next, consider your capacity for recognition
activities.
What can you reasonably take on, given the
scope of your other work?
Be sure to engage fellow staff members in
recognition activities as well, especially
organizational leadership.
Not only will this take some of the pressure
off you, it also helps to create an organizational
culture of valuing volunteers – from top
to bottom.
Lastly, be sure to identify ways you can recognize
those volunteers with whom you may not regularly
interact.
For example, you may need specific ways to
recognize your online volunteers, board members,
or those independent, entrepreneurial volunteers.
Now, let’s get into some specific ideas
for volunteer recognition.
Keep in mind that you’ll likely want to
offer more than one form of recognition since
volunteers will have different motivations
and preferences for how they’d like to be
acknowledged.
We’ll start off with a personal thanks.
Whether in the form of a handwritten thank
you card, a thoughtful email, or a verbal
thanks, this is a good option for everyone
and is frequently cited as a most valued way
to be recognized.
It’s simple, personal, and cost effective!
If your organization serves clients, a card
or note from someone who has benefitted from
the work of the volunteer can be especially
meaningful.
If your organization serves children, drawings
by young people can have a big impact.
Make sure that people who are important to
the volunteer – including senior management
– sign the card.
Don’t underestimate the personal thank you!
Engage fellow staff to thank volunteers informally
whenever they see them.
Keep the appreciation going on a daily basis
and reinforce your organization’s culture
of gratitude, leading to staff, board members,
volunteers, and others all feeling valued
and central to the work of the organization.
Another popular option is a Recognition event
or social activity
* This can be especially valuable for people
who are volunteering primarily to meet others
and make friends.
It’s also a great opportunity to bring together
volunteers, board members, and staff - who
otherwise might not get to interact.
Events can be more expensive and potentially
difficult to get great turnout, though, so
be sure to gauge interest before planning.
Also, consider some ways to potentially boost
attendance by handing out awards, raffling
off donated items, and asking staff and board
members to participate (as well as recognizing
them too!)
A third, lower cost option is hosting monthly
networking events or professional development
trainings.
* This can be valuable for students and job
seekers.
* Plus, events that focus on topics related
to the mission of the organization can be
engaging opportunities for those who are passionate
about the cause.
Also for volunteers who are early in their
careers or changing jobs, an especially valuable
form of recognition is a letter of recommendation.
A letter not only provides them with individualized
recognition of their efforts, it gives them
a valuable asset that can help their career.
Yet another option is a Public thank you in
your organization’s newsletter, on the website
or social media, or in a local newspaper.
* This can be a great way to thank those who
don’t mind the public nature of this kind
of recognition.
Plus it is a form of community outreach to
let others know about your organization and
the work it does!
Certificates of thanks are another simple,
cost effective way to formalize a thank you.
* Be sure to ask folks first if this would
be valuable though so that it doesn’t just
become something to be recycled.
Lastly, many organizations choose to offer
volunteers some kind of recognition item like
a T-shirt, water bottle, lapel pin, or gift
card.
While some volunteers would prefer that the
organization’s dollars be spent on the mission,
t-shirts and pins can be a nice way to thank
volunteers while also creating visibility
for the organization.
We’ve looked at why volunteer recognition
is important not only to the volunteers, but
to the organization where they serve.
Recognition can take many forms beyond a simple
“thank you,” and it should match the motivations
and preferences of your volunteers.
Most important, volunteer recognition should
be meaningful.
And, as we’ve seen, there are so many ways
to do this.
To learn more, reach out to other VISTAs to
see how they recognize their volunteers, especially
if they are at organizations are similar to
yours.
For additional learning, check the listing
below this video to find a few more volunteer
recognition resources.
Thanks for watching.
Good luck with your continued service and
here’s to honoring and acknowledging our
invaluable volunteers!
