Free Volunteer Appreciation Toolkit
National Volunteer Week, established in 1974, is an opportunity for community organizations in the United States to recognize volunteers for their contributions and community service. This year, many volunteer programs are employing a combination of in-person, virtual, and remote forms of recognition and celebration.
In this blog, we’ll cover how to celebrate volunteers' week with our top ideas so you can make volunteers feel appreciated for their efforts.
Top 11 National Volunteer Week Ideas
Throw a Volunteer Recognition Week Party
While it can be tempting to host the typical volunteer banquet, formal volunteer dinners can seem impersonal.
Instead, find a trendy venue like a local brewery or cafe to host a special event. Add a few surprises and personal touches (like a performance from the local elementary school choir), and invite a guest speaker who knows your program to share a few words.
Award Your Most Dedicated Volunteers
Volunteer Week is about recognizing all volunteer work, large and small.
But it's important to specifically highlight and thank your most dedicated supporters and show how much they matter to your program. To do this, nonprofits should track volunteer hours throughout the year and recognize the volunteer who gave the most time with custom awards.
In addition to the volunteer who logged the most hours, award the volunteers who:
- Showed up every week with a smile
- Brought their whole family to help every weekend
- Recruited new volunteers
- Displayed leadership qualities
- Built a sense of community
Give Handwritten Cards
The most rewarding gifts are those that come from the heart.
Invite clients and community members to make cards and write letters of thanks to volunteers, especially if your volunteers serve children or the elderly.
Encourage personal anecdotes and a little creative freedom!
Host a National Volunteer Week Fair
A volunteer fair is a great way to recruit new supporters and introduce them to your programs, projects, and community partners. Team up with a local campus, community center, or business and bring the projects to them!
Highlight a Community Partner or Project
It takes lots of voices to build a better community. If you're celebrating National Volunteer Week, you could spotlight a project or community partner that does especially great work each day.
Use your digital platforms—like social media and email—to introduce your network to the cause and let volunteers know how they can get involved.
Share Your Impact
One of the best volunteer appreciation ideas is all about sharing your program's impact.
Use a variety of media from your website to your social media channels (don't forget to use #nationalvolunteerweek) to share data, tell stories of volunteers and clients, and remind stakeholders of your mission.
Pro Tip: A volunteer management system will streamline—and even automate—volunteer data collection and reporting, so sharing impact will be easier than ever.
Learn more about Get Connected's Exportable Program Reports
Thank Volunteers with Digital Gifts
You may not be able to give all your volunteers a gift in person, but you can give your remote supporters something equally thoughtful to help them feel valued.
Sending digital gift cards to a beloved local cafe or bakery, for example, are some of the best gift ideas. And just because your volunteers are virtual, doesn't mean you should overlook including some "old-fashioned" snail mail or phone calls to make sure volunteers really feel seen.
Take to Social Media
If you already have a social media strategy, you'll know how important it is to engage with your community online.
Plan several social media posts leading up to and during volunteer week: announce a new virtual project, invite new participants to get involved with a catchy call-to-action, feature a superstar volunteer, share inspirational quotes, or share your program's volunteer impact!
Send Out Surveys
Another great way to honor your volunteers? Let them know their voices matter.
Send a digital survey to your volunteers and invite them to share their feedback: What motivates your volunteers to participate? What changes to the program do they want to see in the future?
Then, use their feedback to evaluate your current practices. You'll show volunteers that you're invested in their success in addition to your organization's success.
Download a Toolkit for Volunteer Appreciation!
Host an Inspirational Talk
Invite local leaders or well-known personalities to deliver motivational speeches or write messages celebrating the spirit of volunteerism.
Offer Skill Development Workshops
Organize workshops or online seminars focusing on skill enhancement, personal growth, and professional development for volunteers. Topics could range from leadership skills to effective communication.
Nail Volunteer Appreciation All Year Round
Whether you participate in one volunteer appreciation day a year or an entire week, it's essential that nonprofit organizations recognize the impact of volunteering and improve the volunteer experience as much as possible.
With Get Connected, nonprofits can make volunteer appreciation an essential part of their volunteer management. With custom badges, milestone awards, and so much more, Get Connected lets nonprofits take appreciation to new heights — no matter what time of year it is.
