Ways to Thank Nonprofit Volunteers and Board

Ideas for Volunteer Appreciation Gifts and Thank You Letters

Sep 3, 2009

Celebrate Volunteers with Volunteer Appreciation, silviogs

Much attention is given to building good relationships with financial donors, but volunteers- those who donate their time and expertise- deserve similar stewardship.

Many nonprofit organizations rely heavily on the generosity of volunteers. Sometimes these volunteers are so integrated into the work of the organization that they are referred to as unpaid staff. Other organizations use volunteers for one-time assignments or for campaigns of a certain length. Making sure volunteers understand how important they are to a nonprofit is critical in retaining volunteers and maximizing productivity.

Volunteer Recognition is a Program, Not an Event

An effective volunteer appreciation program should be ongoing and contain a mix of activities. Annual recognition events are often effective, but should not be the only time an organization thanks its volunteers.

“Every volunteer, even the purely altruistic one who isn’t trying to advance a career or other personal agenda, wants to know that he or she is making a difference and advancing the cause. And it’s your job to tell the volunteer that,” writes Ilona Bray in Effective Fundraising for Nonprofits: Real-Work Strategies That Work (2008).

Consider these other ideas to incorporate into an annual volunteer recognition plan:

Organization-branded gifts such as t-shirts, pens or coffee mugs with the organization’s logo, tagline and mission statement.
Mission-based gifts specific to the organization. If the nonprofit works with disaster victims, for example, an emergency flashlight might be a good volunteer gift.
Special access or educational opportunities. For cultural, sports and academic nonprofits, inviting volunteers to attend classes or events can be very effective.
Awards, certificates and plaques. Certificates can be simple and inexpensive, while awards and plaques will cost more. Ultimately, they all serve the same purpose – to recognize the work of the volunteer as contributing to the mission of the organization.
Speaking or writing opportunities. Volunteers are often honored to be asked to make remarks at an event or to have their story shared in a publication. This is a win-win for the nonprofit because others inside and outside the organization want to hear from volunteers.
Volunteer newsletters. Articles could be written by volunteers about their experiences or could be an adaptation of materials already compiled for other publications.
Events. Regular (annual, quarterly or monthly) volunteer events help build camaraderie in the volunteer corps and give the nonprofit an opportunity to share information about the organization’s work. This might involve remarks from the executive director, a board member, an outside speaker or a beneficiary of the organization. Thanks are always in order and special recognition might be given to extraordinary volunteers.

Volunteer Thank You Letters

When creating a thank you letter to send to volunteers, the key is to recognize the individual contributions of each volunteer. This might seem to be a challenge when many volunteers performed the same task or the volunteer work was spread out over many activities. It is the job of the nonprofit, however to “connect the dots” for volunteers and let them know how their work contributed to the goals of the organization.

Be sure to personally address and sign the volunteer thank you letter. The signatory should be someone in the organization the volunteer will recognize – the executive director, a prominent board member or head of the volunteer’s work area.

Consider these other thank you letter elements:

Start out by celebrating an achievement – “We did it! Together, we brought 1500 children to the park to hear world-class chamber music. That’s 500 more children than last year and 250 over our goal!”
Acknowledge the role of the volunteer – “Without you, it never would have happened. Your participation alone allowed us to bring five additional children to the park and send them home with wonderful memories.”
Connect the dots to mission – “As you know, Chamber in the Park is our largest event of the year. But we work year-round to create opportunities for children to expand their cultural horizons. The money we raise during Chamber in the Park allows us to work with a total of 3000 children here in the metropolitan area.”
End with thanks – “Thank you for the generous donation of your time and efforts last week, and for your ongoing support of our work.”
P.S., Offer contact information – “P.S., I’d love to hear from you about your experience or if you are interested in participating as a regular volunteer. You can reach me directly at …”

Thank Board Members – They’re Volunteers, Too

The duty of thanking volunteers, staff, donors and community partners often falls to members of a nonprofit’s boards. But it’s important to remember that board members are volunteers, too (in the United States and many other countries).

Nonprofit staff should consider ways to recognize and appreciate board members. Inexpensive but thoughtful gifts are often the most appropriate. One interesting idea is to compile a scrapbook of photos from events and of the organization’s work, include some testimonials from volunteers and those who have benefited from the work of the organization, and then present the book as a gift to each board member.

Finally, appreciation must be genuine. Regardless of the specific appreciation activities a nonprofit chooses, volunteer recognition requires a sincere thank you.

The copyright of the article Ways to Thank Nonprofit Volunteers and Board in Volunteer Management is owned by Molly Schar. Permission to republish Ways to Thank Nonprofit Volunteers and Board in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.