Volunteer Recognition

Transcription

1 Volunteer Recognition What is volunteer recognition? Recognition is acknowledging the efforts of volunteers. It can take on many forms from formal events to a heartfelt, timely thank-you. It shows appreciation for the work that volunteers do for your organization and provides volunteers with a sense of belonging and contribution. Why do people volunteer? Volunteers are motivated to give their time to an organization for many reasons and often these reasons can help us identify meaningful ways to say thank you. The Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating 2000) reported that volunteers become involved in organizations because: 30% were asked by someone in the organization 16% approached the organization themselves 15% were a member of the organization 12% had a child or spouse involved in the organization 9% were asked by a friend or relative outside of the organization The Canada Survey also reported the following reasons for volunteering: 95% of volunteers believed in the cause supported by the organization 81% of volunteers were involved to use their skills and experience 69% were motivated to volunteer because they were personally affected by the cause the organization supports 57% saw volunteer involvement as a way to explore their own strengths 30% of people became involved because of a friend s involvement indicating a social motivation 23% of volunteers were motivated to be involved to improve their job opportunities Why is recognition important to your volunteer program? All volunteers want to know that their contribution is valued and not taken for granted. Here are a few tips to help your organization recognize the work of your volunteers as meaningful and appreciated. Make it a priority. Recognizing the work of volunteers is crucial for any organization that wants to retain them and attract others. Designate someone in your organization to be responsible for ensuring that ongoing recognition of volunteers takes place. Do it often. Recognition of volunteers should happen on a year-round, frequent and informal basis begin with saying Thank you often Do it in different ways. Vary your recognition efforts from the informal thank you and spontaneous treats, to more formal events, such as dinners and awards.

2 Be sincere. Make each occasion you use to recognize your volunteers meaningful and an opportunity to truly reflect on his/her value to your organization. Recognize the person, not the work. Phrase recognition to emphasize the contribution of the individual, not the end result. You did a great job as opposed to This is a great job Make it appropriate to the achievement. For example, a paper certificate accompanied by a private thank you may be appropriate for a few months of service but a public dinner and engraved plaque may better suit 10 years of volunteerism. Be consistent. Make sure whatever standards of recognition you establish can be consistently maintained by your organization in years to come. Holding a volunteer recognition dinner one year sets up expectation for future volunteers. Be timely. Try to arrange recognition soon after achievement has been reached delaying until weeks or months later diminishes the value of your gratitude. Make it unique. Getting to know each of your volunteers and their interests will help you learn how best to recognize each individual and make them feel special. What s Next? Recognition begins the moment a volunteer walks through your door, and should continue year round! Remember that recognition should be a priority if you want to retain good volunteers. We all need to know we are doing well at our jobs, as it helps motivate us to continue our work. Learn what motivates your volunteers, and make your recognition appropriate to what he/she thinks is important. Not sure, ask them to take this volunteer recognition survey created by Imagine Canada. It takes only a few minutes and provides terrific insight for any volunteer manager. Finally, to develop best practices in volunteer recognition, you need to plan ahead and know what you want to do. It is important to share your ideas with staff and volunteers. Most importantly, you need to be sincere about saying thank you. Make every occasion count and make sure that your thanks are meaningful and appropriate for your volunteers and truly reflect the impact they have had at your organization. Thank Them Sometimes a heartfelt, personal thank-you is all that your volunteer needs to feel appreciated. Send a personal thank-you note. Treat Them Right. Smile. Always be courteous. Always greet your volunteers by name. Greet each volunteer with enthusiasm and appreciation. Be honest at all times. Don't treat volunteers as second-class citizens. Make volunteers feel good about themselves. Create a climate in which volunteers can feel motivated. Make sure the volunteers are doing work that is meaningful to them and the community.

3 Be flexible and offer volunteers the type of responsibilities they want. Utilize a volunteer s unique talents Debrief with volunteers following a conference, program, or activity, which they participated in or assisted with. Be patient. Take time to explain. Recognize volunteers for financial and philanthropic contributions. Provide useful and effective orientation for each volunteer position. Develop leadership skills and self-confidence. Build consensus. Build support. Practice the "Platinum Rule." "Do unto others as they prefer being done unto.") Be respectful. Shake hands. Give a pat-on-the-back. Take an interest in their personal lives. Attend personal celebrations, birthdays, anniversaries, etc.) Take note of volunteers' children's accomplishments. Recognize them. Make home visits. Make sure that each volunteer is a good fit with his or her volunteer role. Let each volunteer know they were missed. Make telephone calls. Attend volunteers meetings and activities. Send a note of congratulations for personal achievements. Send a note of congratulations for professional achievements and promotions. Send get well cards. Accept that an individual volunteer s ability to commit may change over time. Ensure a safe and healthy working environment. Ensure confidentiality for your volunteers. Provide a clear role description for every volunteer. Develop a volunteer policy for your organisation. Ensure volunteers have adequate space and equipment to do their work. Make sure new volunteers are welcomed warmly. Give volunteers a proper introduction. Do not overwhelm volunteers. Always be appreciative of volunteers contributions. Tell volunteers they have done a good job. Suggest sources of help and support for personal problems. Know the names of their partners, kids or pets and ask about how they are. Provide constructive appraisal. Give volunteers tasks in which they will be successful. Always have work for your volunteers to do, and never waste their time. Give volunteers an opportunity to debrief, especially if they work in stressful situations. Provide meaningful and enjoyable work. Do not impose new policies and procedures without volunteers input. Maintain regular contact with volunteers, even if they work off-site or at odd hours. Allow volunteers to air valid grievances and make sure these are dealt with swiftly Conduct an exit interview when a volunteer leaves. Help interested volunteers prepare their resumes, emphasizing the skills they have developed through their volunteer work.

4 Provide Office Perks Provide childcare. Provide nametags or business cards for volunteers. Provide volunteers their own work area. Provide transportation to meetings, events, educational workshops, etc. Reimburse travel expenses. Provide volunteers with clerical or office support. Provide car or bike parking for volunteers. Devote resources (time and money) to volunteer support. Provide a volunteer mailbox or notice board so they can retrieve memos or files when they stop by Providing an area where the volunteers can relax Praise Them Offer public praise Offer meaningful praise Praise them to friends, loved ones, employers Write letters of recommendation Send a thank-you note to the volunteer s employer, noting the impact and contribution that the volunteer has made. (If the employer does not provide release time to volunteer.) Have a letter to the volunteer from (or a visit with) a person who has benefited from the volunteer's services. Let the volunteer really see, hear and feel the end result of their work. Food for Thanks Offer coffee and treats Throw pizza or ice cream parties Invite a volunteer out to lunch or for coffee. Have a candy bowl Send candy. Send cookies. Include volunteers in coffee breaks. Tokens of Appreciation Provide special interest materials to targeted volunteers. Letters, postcards, s of appreciation Key chains, pens, pins, mugs, t-shirts, hats, etc Gift certificates or coupons to local eateries or entertainment facilities Design T-shirts and give them to volunteers or have an annual Design the Volunteer T-Shirt contest and use the winning design Send cards for personal achievements birthday, anniversary, new arrival, promotion, graduation, etc. Arrange discounts at local shops Ask those served by your nonprofit (e.g., youth, students) to craft personal gifts (art work, photography, poems, journal), to give to treasured volunteers. Have an "at-home tea party. Send volunteers a tea bag in a card and ask them to enjoy a cup of tea in the quiet of their own home.) Send a holiday greeting card. Send Hershey s Kisses to your organization s volunteers. Send peppermint candies to your volunteers with the message "You're worth a mint "

5 Send balloons. Give a light bulb or candle with the message "You light up my life." Send valentines. Give calendars, notepads, pens, or pencils. Send spices, seasonings, or herbs with the note: "You are the spice of life " Print and distribute bumper stickers. Provide caps or shirts to promote unity among the organization. Send flowers. Create a scrapbook and have staff and clients write comments and quotes about the difference volunteers make. Have these printed in a booklet and mailed out or shared at a recognition event. Include photos and brief descriptions of past volunteer projects Provide a golf cart for a volunteer to utilize during a fair, festival, golf outing, etc. Feature a volunteer in a slide show at an event. Provide favors at meetings or events. Provide extrinsic rewards (certificates, plaques, pins, etc.) Provide "perks" (free admission to paid events, reserved seating, free parking, etc.) Present service stripes, candy sticks or candy canes with the message "You've earned your stripes " Encourage program participants to send thank-you notes, birthday and anniversary cards. Plan an organizational outing (picnic, theater, ball game, family day, pool party, etc.) Have a birthday and anniversary column in your organizational newsletter. Send volunteers an "Encouragemint". Send hand-written notes. Give a certificate to commemorate anniversaries of involvement. Take photos of volunteers 'on the job', imprint a 'Thank you' message, frame them and give them to each volunteer. Sending a picture of the volunteer at the event or activity as a keepsake For long-standing volunteers, collect coins in the amount of hours contributed, place them in vase tied with a ribbon and present to them at a special afternoon tea. Create bookmarks for the volunteers with an acknowledgement of appreciation for work contributed. Give a pat on the back: Trace your hand on plain paper and cut out. Write, 'Here s a pat on the back for. Thanks for all your hard work.' Invite staff or anyone else that has contact with the volunteers to make one in recognition of the service of particular volunteers. Hang them all together for visual impact. Create volunteer buttons and pins Skills Training Pay registration fees for conferences or workshops. Invite volunteers to participate in workshops and involve them as speakers. Enable a volunteer to move on to expanded or higher level responsibilities. Provide educational resources for the volunteers to utilize (videos, pamphlets, books, curriculum, etc.) Public Recognition Include volunteers names on recognition plaques or billboards in public areas. Recognize them at staff or board meetings. Write letters of reference to prospective employers. Nominate a volunteer for a leadership position.

6 Write articles about your volunteers in local newspapers, your newsletter or on your website. Create a yearbook of volunteers. Host formal recognition events (lunches, dinners, teas, etc.) Produce a video of individuals contributions to your organization. Start an award program; Volunteer of the Month/Year Post a volunteers personal story or appreciation photos on your website on your web page Nominate volunteers for community, territory, or national awards Create a photo banner of volunteers, a wall of fame A round of applause Ask for the mayor s involvement. Get your city s mayor or other dignitary to send a note, drop by for a visit or make a proclamation. Plant a tree or flowerbed in a volunteer s name. Contribute to a charity in a volunteer s name. Direct newspaper reporters to worthy volunteers when writing a news story. Label the office coffee pot in honor of an effective volunteer ("Vicki pours herself out for this organization " or "Joe keeps things perking ") Host a this is your life event for a longtime, retiring volunteer. Invite fellow volunteers, the volunteer s family, friends and associates as well as your nonprofit s employees. Stage brief skits that re-enact milestone events from the volunteer s life. Share the success or impact of one volunteer with others at a meeting or gathering. Host a banquet, luncheon, dessert, tea, or reception in the volunteers' honor. Establish a Volunteer Honor Roll. Send a thank-you note to the volunteer s spouse to thank him/her for sharing his/her spouse s time and talents with the organization. Send a thank-you note to the volunteer s employer to thank him/her for sharing the employee s time and talents with the organization. (If the employer provides release time to volunteer.) Recognize an employer with the volunteer publicly (if the employer provides release time for the employee, or allows the employee to utilize resources or support staff to serve.) Encourage other volunteers to express appreciation. Let volunteers put their names to something they have helped to produce or to make happen. Recommend volunteers to prospective employers. Celebrate, especially successes Share the volunteer s personal success story Schedule monthly birthday bashes. Have a program participant share a success story about the volunteer. Recognize the achievements or accomplishments of those with whom the volunteer works. Have a photo booth at your volunteer appreciation event,...to capture fun images of your volunteers celebrating. Host an event for the families of your volunteers. Try a picnic, a bowling party, hot air balloon rides, an ice cream social or some other fun-filled day. Surprise a volunteer with a birthday cake. Organize a holiday open house for your volunteers. Plan a theme party (toga, costume, western, etc.) Stage a potluck dinner in a volunteer s honor.

7 Hold a BBQ for your volunteers. Run a Volunteers Breakfast. Have a morning tea with testimonials to the volunteers from recipients of services. Celebrate events such as International Volunteer Day and National Volunteer Week Farewell volunteers when they move away from the area or leave the organization Keep them informed Share the results of program evaluations with volunteers so they can see their impact on clients and programs. Send newsletters with important, relevant information Demonstrate the impact of their work Recognize and share innovative suggestions or programs. Invite them to deepen their involvement Ask volunteers for input and feedback on programs, policies, goals, etc. Solicit honest feedback Include them in planning meetings Give them more complex assignments or more responsibility Nominate a volunteer to teach a workshop at a conference or symposium. When the workshop is accepted, assist the volunteer in preparation. Ask a volunteer to speak on behalf of the program to an outside agency Ask a volunteer to speak to a funder. Ask a volunteer to speak at a volunteer meeting. Ask a volunteer to write a news article or news release. Ask a volunteer to make a television appearance or radio announcement. Utilize a volunteer suggestion box. Carefully consider their suggestions Ask a volunteer to coordinate a program, event, or initiative. Utilize a volunteer as a consultant. Invite volunteers to staff meetings. Encourage them to contribute and participate. Ask a volunteer to develop a window or tabletop display to promote a program. Bounce new ideas off of a volunteer. Involve volunteers in problem solving efforts. Ask the volunteer to present a report, lesson, workshop, or seminar on some aspect of the conference that they attended. Ask volunteers to chaperone trips. Ask volunteers to judge competitions. Cultivate volunteer s special interests. Whenever possible, encourage pursuit in their volunteer role. Add volunteers to memo and distribution lists. Ask a volunteer to serve in a leadership role. Ask for their help in training new volunteers or conducting an educational program Ask effective volunteers to each recruit another volunteer who is "just like them." Ask volunteers opinions when developing new policies and strategies.