Why is volunteer recognition so important?

Why do we leave it to once a year to recognize our volunteers?

How can we make a difference throughout the year?

These are key questions we should be asking ourselves as we plan for the coming year.

Volunteer recognition is more than saying thank you. It’s the deliberate and intentional ongoing way that we engage with our volunteers to reinforce that they are a valuable part of our organization, that they matter and that what they are doing has an impact.

Volunteer recognition should not be a special thing that we do, rather it should be seen as part of overall program development and management. Just as we spend time thinking about how we can engage volunteers, it’s important for us to spend the same amount of effort thinking about and offering thanks to our volunteers for the contribution they make. Like volunteer recruitment, recognition is not a process that we undertake alone. We need to engage all staff that work with volunteers and take some time to coach, support and provide tools to supervising staff, so they can get actively involved in the process too.

Many organizations, rely on an annual volunteer recognition event, where all volunteers are invited and given a formal thank you. Sometimes staff are invited to join, sometimes they aren’t. Many organizations only budget for an annual event and, therefore, don’t have funds throughout the year to recognize volunteers.

If this is the way your organization functions, you need to ask yourself if this works for your program and for your particular volunteer population. Who are your volunteers? Are they students, seniors, working people, unemployed people, newcomers? What do you think would have an impact on them?

If you cannot answer these questions, you might want to start by doing a survey and finding out what matters to them. Surveys are a great way of either finding out new information or reinforcing information that you already have.

If an annual event is working well for you as part of your organization’s volunteer recognition strategy, remember the scheduling of the event is also important. Many are held during National Volunteer Week, which takes place in April every year. Does that make sense based on the activities of your volunteer population? Is it the right time to thank them or keep them engaged? Is there a better time in the calendar for your volunteers? Doing volunteer recognition in April may not be an ideal time for students starting exams, for example. I do formal recognition in October/November to both re-engage volunteers that have taken time off in the summer, to thank them as we start embracing the holiday season, and to get them excited for activities that will happen in the new year. I find these formal gatherings are a great time to update people, socialize and share information.

Beyond an annual event, your recognition activities should be ongoing. To plan activities appropriately, you will need to know what is meaningful for your volunteers and think about the many ways that your organization can say thank you. It’s also helpful to create a personalized volunteer recognition program by first breaking it down into two categories: formal and informal.

Some ideas for informal recognition can be:

• A personal note of thanks, either after an event or periodically
• Sending a picture of the volunteer at the event or activity as a keepsake
• Giving out stickers: you would be surprised how many people like stickers
• Inviting the volunteers to a staff meeting to talk about the success of the event
• Sending or giving cards for many occasions; remembering a special personal event
• Providing an area where the volunteers can relax
• Creating a wall of fame
• Saying thank you, offering on the job praise
• Setting aside time to evaluate their performance
• Writing an article in a newsletter, website, journal or local publication
• Sending a letter of thanks to the volunteer, their supervisor at work or teacher at school
• Giving opportunities for learning by providing workshops and educational opportunities

Some ideas for formal recognition can be:

• Awarding certificates and plaques
• Distributing formal evaluation and volunteer placement feedback surveys
• Providing a timely orientation and training and provide proper supervision
• Holding an annual event that is both timely and appropriate to your volunteers
• Offering letters of recommendation
• Providing individuals with meaningful volunteer work that reflects their personal goals
• Nominating them for local, provincial and national volunteer awards
• Highlighting their accomplishments at the annual AGM or board meeting
• Acknowledging volunteers throughout the year in a variety of ways at public events and through organizational and donor communications

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. 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.

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.

Lori Gotlieb is the Manager of Community Engagement for The Arthritis Society, Toronto Region and the founder of Lori Gotlieb Consulting. Lori is an internationally published author and workshop facilitator. Lori can be reached at lori.gotlieb@rogers.com.