; Canadian FundRaiser Many people believe that the best way to recognize volunteers is to throw them a party or hold a similar recognition event during National Volunteer Week. However, your efforts may be ineffective if you don’t say “thank-you” in a way which your volunteers can relate to.

To truly show your appreciation, it is far better to customize your recognition to the individual volunteer. To do this, you must first come to understand why people volunteer. According to Nan Hawthorne of Sound Volunteer Management in Seattle, Washington, there are four typical motivators for volunteers. These include:

  1. Praise
      This is effective for volunteers who:

    • Enjoy recognition for their talents and accomplishments
    • Like being thanked, given gifts, and singled out for achievement
    • Find situations where there is little or no feedback frustrating
    • Enjoy a volunteer program where the results of their efforts are readily seen by others.
    • Affiliation
        This is an important factor for volunteers who:

      • Enjoy being part of an organization, club or team
      • Enjoy opportunities to get together with others with similar beliefs, backgrounds, goals, and being associated with a well-known cause or group
      • Don’t find working alone or for an obscure organization very satisfying
      • Accomplishment
          These volunteers:

        • Enjoy seeing concrete evidence of their work, such as piles of finished paperwork or names checked off on a list
        • Like practical, tangible projects
        • Don’t like working on projects where abstract goals are pursued or achievements are hard-won
        • Power and Influence
            Some volunteers:

          • Like persuading people to see or do things their way, or enjoy showing people a better, easier way of accomplishing an objective
          • Don’t want to be in an insignificant position, but like positions where they help make decisions or train people Once you have discovered what motivates your volunteers (either by observation or by asking them directly), you can choose which recognition items will make them feel most appreciated. Here are some suggestions for how to say thank-you to each type of volunteer:
            1. Praise
              Recognize these volunteers by offering small gifts, a recognition spot on your web site or in your newsletter, or public recognition at an event. They will often also appreciate a letter thanking their boss, teacher, family, etc. for their help and/or a reference letter for a job or another volunteer position.
            2. Affiliation
              You can thank these volunteers through social get-togethers, organization t-shirts, name-badges, or posting a list of all organization volunteers in a public area.
            3. Accomplishment
              You can offer these volunteers certificates of accomplishment at specific stages in their work, continuing education or credential credits, or a special place to put completed projects.
            4. Power and Influence
              These volunteers will appreciate titles or rank insignia, a special parking spot for the month, or involvement as a speaker at organization workshops. Next time, aim to thank your volunteers individually and in a way that matters most to them.

              For more information, contact Nan Hawthorne, Sound Volunteer Management, www.sound-volunteer.com; Volunteer Canada, 302-1 Nicholas St., Ottawa, ON K1N 7B7, 1-800-670-0401; or Kim Macies, Community Partnerships Program, Department of Canadian Heritage, (613) 944-2256.

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