98 ways to thank and support your volunteers

Here are 98 different ways to thank and support your volunteers.

1. Create a climate in which volunteers can feel motivated
2. Say ‘thank you’ often, and mean it
3. Match the volunteer’s desires with the organization’s needs
4. Send birthday cards. Send a card at Christmas  
5. Provide a clear role description for every volunteer
6. Make sure new volunteers are welcomed warmly
7. Highlight the impact that the volunteer contribution is having on the organization
8. Show an interest in volunteers’ personal interests and their outside life
9. Tell volunteers they have done a good job
10. Give volunteers a real voice within the organization
11. Set up a volunteer support group
12. Provide meaningful and enjoyable work.
13. Always have work for your volunteers to do and never waste their time
14. Send ‘thank you’ notes and letters when appropriate
15. Smile when you see them!
16. Say something positive about their personal qualities
17. Involve volunteers in decision-making processes
18. Give a certificate to commemorate anniversaries of involvement
19. Develop a volunteer policy
20. Allow volunteers the opportunity to debrief, especially if they work in stressful situations
21. Let volunteers put their names to something they have helped to produce or to make happen
22. Differentiate clearly between the roles of paid staff, trainees and volunteers
23. Have a volunteer comments box and consider any suggestions carefully
24. Make sure the volunteer coordinator is easily accessible and has an ‘open door’ policy
25. Provide insurance cover
26. Supervise volunteers’ work
27. Have a vision for volunteer involvement in your organization
28. Do not impose new policies and procedures without volunteers’ inputs
29. Ask volunteers themselves how the organization can show it cares
30. Permit volunteers to attend seminars, conferences and workshops from time to time
31. Give volunteers a proper induction
32. Celebrate the year’s work together
33. Offer to write volunteers letters of reference
34. Accept that different volunteers are able to offer different levels of involvement
35. Accept that an individual volunteer’s ability to commit may change over time
36. Ask volunteers’ opinions when developing new policies and strategies
37. Make sure the director (especially in large organizations) shows her/his personal appreciation of the volunteers’ work
38. Pass on any positive comments about volunteers from clients to the volunteers themselves
39. Provide the opportunity for ‘leave of absence’
40. Add volunteers to memo and e-mail distribution lists
41. Set solid goals for volunteers and keep communicating them
42. Provide car or bike parking for volunteers
43. Give the volunteer a title which reflects the work they do (not just ‘volunteer’)
44. Consider providing, or paying for, child care for volunteers who are parents
45. Inform the local press about the excellent work of your volunteers
46. Undertake individual supervision and support sessions
47. Always be courteous
48. Maintain regular contact with volunteers, even if they work ‘off-site’ or at odd hours
49. Allow volunteers to ‘get out’ without feeling guilty
50. Keep volunteers informed of changes in structure and personnel
51. Provide adequate clothing and name badges if appropriate
52. Use quotes from volunteers in leaflets and annual reports
53. Devote resources (time and money) to volunteer support
54. Count up how many hours volunteers contribute and publicise this
55. Ensure all paid staff and trainees know how to work effectively with volunteers
56. Provide accredited training
57. Hang a volunteer photo board in a prominent position
58. Give volunteers the opportunity to evaluate their own performance and role
59. Do not overwhelm volunteers
60. Build volunteers’ self-esteem by giving them a sense of ownership of their work
61. Always be appreciative of volunteers’ contributions
62. Ensure volunteers have adequate space and equipment to do their work
63. Provide excellent training and coaching
64. Recognize that volunteers play a unique role
65. Have an annual volunteer award ceremony
66. Focus on the problem, if there is one, not the personality of the volunteer
67. Create two-way communication processes
68. Have occasional lunches, dinners, barbecues, picnics, etc
69. Create a volunteer notice board
70. Set up a volunteers forum
71. Allow volunteers to get involved in solving problems
72. Pay for an eye test if they sit in front of a computer all day
73. Review the progress of volunteers on a regular basis
74. Reimburse out-of-pocket expenses
75. Conduct an exit interview when a volunteer leaves
76. Have a ‘volunteer voice’ section in your newsletter
77. Be honest at all times
78. Provide constructive appraisal
79. Make volunteers feel good about themselves
80. Don’t treat volunteers as ‘second class citizens’
81. Ensure confidentiality for your volunteers
82. Present an occasional inexpensive gift
83. Provide volunteers with a ‘rights and responsibilities’ charter
84. Don’t bully them into doing tasks which they have made clear they don’t want to do
85. Give free membership to your organization
86. Ensure you have adequate support skills yourself
87. Ask why volunteers are leaving or have left
88. Throw a volunteers party
89. Use surveys as a way of eliciting your volunteers’ views
90. Provide free refreshments during coffee and tea breaks
91. Celebrate United Nations International Volunteer Day (5 December each year)
92. Suggest sources of help and support for personal problems
93. Allow volunteers to air legitimate grievances and make sure they are dealt with swiftly
94. Send a card or flowers if volunteers are ill or bereaved
95. Encourage them to sit on committees and attend meetings
96. Ensure a safe and healthy working environment
97. Allow volunteers to take on more challenging responsibilities
98. Make sure that every volunteer has equal access to support

For additional details on volunteer recognition, contact the Volunteer Center of Cedar Valley at (319) 272-2087, information@vccv.org, or visit www.vccv.org.