How To Thank Nonprofit Volunteers During National Volunteer Week

This is something that is easier said than done, of course, but community is what keeps volunteers coming back and donating in the long term. This is something that happens naturally by providing a supportive, personal, and social atmosphere in your office. These letters will vary from organization to organization. Reach out to the communities that your volunteers serve and ask them to write letters or make cards. Bring all the letters into the office at the end of the week to give volunteers the opportunity to pass them around and read everything the community has written to them.

• Hosting a private event gives volunteers the chance to network and connect.
• When the volunteer receives this card, they’ll feel supported and encouraged.
• So why do we acknowledge world-changing effort with a fancy dinner?
• As she interacted with volunteers, she started keeping little notes of things to thank them for.
• #17 Countless goals have been achieved today thanks to your selfless volunteer work.
• A physical card also lets people know that it passed through someone’s hands, and that it’s not just an automated message.
• You don’t have to ditch the traditional volunteer acknowledgment goodies.

When you see or hear something you want to recognize, do it. This way you won’t forget, and the experience is still fresh in the mind of the volunteer. Plus, the more quickly you acknowledge a positive experience, the sooner you reap the positive benefits from a happy, heart-warmed volunteer.

Without in-person events, organizers may be struggling to affirm and thank their regular volunteers. However, there are many actions that can be taken from home. For example, there are social events such as Zoom calls that can be spiced up with surprises, guests, and other treats. Organizers can also send gifts home to volunteers, write letters, or use their social platforms to share their appreciation with the world. Sometimes the best way to show you appreciate your volunteers is the old fashioned way — sending them a thank you card.

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#25 Unity of passion and compassion is a rare gift, but it shines in you. You do your job with both, and that makes you a genuine and dedicated volunteer. #12 You are a joy to work with because you bring positive energy wherever you go. We are thrilled to have you among our volunteers! Heidi has been writing thank you notes for more thank 30 years and is the author of A Modern Guide to Writing Thank-You Notes. Her goal is to help people write better thank-you notes by providing tips and examples.

Feel free to distribute the video on social media and through email. This is a great way to add a personal touch to your thank you – especially when trying to communicate with large numbers of volunteers. The end of the year is the perfect time to think about volunteer appreciation and everything they’ve done for you and the organization over the previous 12 months. Thanking your volunteers is an important step to building lasting relationships. It doesn’t matter how you go about thanking them — the important part is that you actually do it.

Send A Handwritten Card Or Letter Of Thanks

This will get the entire company engaged and might even touch on some of the volunteers that you might have missed. One of the ways you can show your volunteer appreciation is through your annual report. Take a page to thank your volunteers for the work that they’ve done.

By framing these messages, volunteers will be able to hang or place them in their homes or offices to remind them of the value of their contributions. Surprising your volunteers will catch them off guard and make them feel extra special! Order in pizzas, write letters to all of your volunteers, decorate the office, and play music to host a small event for them. Make your post heartfelt and personal, sharing real anecdotes and stories from your volunteers. It is also important to give credit for the amazing work your organization has been able to accomplish. Send out the article in a newsletter or through social media to ensure that volunteers see it.

The Basics Of Volunteer Appreciation

Thanking volunteers with a small gift or thank you note will help them to know that their efforts are appreciated. They are doing things for the church community that take time.

Point to something a volunteer did, or the way they made someone feel, and say thank you specifically for that. Typically, you’d look for ways a volunteer goes above and beyond their role. This effort on your part will lead to increased volunteer retention. Organizations can even use a questionnaire based on these motivations to guide them to appropriate and meaningful ways to thank their volunteers. Fidelity Charitable found that most volunteers are donors, and donors are most often volunteers.

Best Practices For Your Volunteer Thank

See if your local teams have deals if you buy tickets in bulk to save money. When volunteers give time to your organization, they are often cutting into the time that would normally be spent with their families. Volunteers can provide a fresh perspective about your organization’s mission and best practices.

Take advantage of your organization’s Facebook page to write posts about your volunteers. These will have a bit more of an “official” feel to them, since they are being sent out by the organization, and not just an individual who works there. Thank your volunteers by telling them a bit more about the impact they are contributing towards. A detailed impact report will validate the time and effort that your volunteers put into your organization. Write a letter of reference for your volunteer appreciation efforts. Highlight what the volunteer has worked on, and whether or not they were open or motivated. All of these items will help you create a full reference.

Volunteers can be an organization’s biggest recruiters and donors, especially as they reach out to their own, personal networks. Thanking volunteers also gives them a sense of pride in their work, showing them the value and importance of everything that they do. Get tickets to the movies or a play for volunteers. This fun activity is a social event that volunteers can attend to relax and get to know each other better.

Opt for gift cards to the movies, a local bowling alley, or a local restaurant. These types of gift cards give volunteers experiences rather than material items, which make for a more memorable and meaningful gift. Hosting a car wash is a fun way to brighten up their day! You can work with a local organization—such as a Girl Scouts troop or high school club—by donating to the organization in return for washing cars. By partnering with a youth group, you are thanking your volunteers and donating to your community. Getting tickets to the game is a fun social event where volunteers can get together with their families and get to know each other outside of work.

We appreciate you for joining us in making our community a better place to live in. Behind every successful company, there are always amazing volunteers. We highly appreciate the good work that you have done. Thank you for all the effort and energy that you have put into this worthy cause. They chose you and your organization for a reason. Remind them regularly that they chose well because they are making a difference with their work. Getting an actual card in the mail from an actual person is rare.

#19 With volunteers like you, any impossible task becomes accomplishable. #13 Not only do you have a heart of gold but mad organization skills as well! Thank you for the tremendous amount of work you’ve put in. #11 With volunteers like you, we have a chance to make this world a better place. I appreciate the time you take to arrive early and have it ready. I always appreciate it when the parent are picking up their child from the church nursery say “thank you”. One of our advisors will be in touch with you as soon as possible, often within 5 minutes during business hours.

According to the Volunteering in America report released by the Corporation for National and Community Service , 77.4 million Americans volunteered in 2018. That’s about 1 out of every 4 people in the U.S. #40 You are a true gift and a force of benevolence when it comes to helping others. May the good you’ve done return to you a hundredfold. #34 I hope you know that all your volunteer work does not go unnoticed. You are the heart of many great causes, and we appreciate you enormously.

Thank you for all the energy you have given to this worthy cause. I hope you know the priceless impact you have had on so many lives. #2 Looking at you, I understand what volunteering is all about. You care so deeply, and you step up to support the things you believe in regardless of the personal cost.

Why Volunteers Matter

For example, a raffle ticket for amount raised, hours in the office, or phone calls made. Do a raffle with small prizes such as gift cards, merchandise, a parking spot, or dinner with the boss. Pre-write questions for your volunteers to answer and film their responses.