Step by Step Guide to Volunteer Appreciation

Volunteers aren’t just the community backbone of nonprofit organizations, they’re the heart of most missions—in fact, approximately one-third of all nonprofit workers are volunteers. Like paid staff, volunteers make achieving change possible.

But despite how important they are, recruiting and retaining volunteers is a pressing issue that 62% of nonprofit CEOs say they struggle with: volunteerism rates have declined, and the average volunteer retention rate is 65%. So how can busy nonprofits—who depend on volunteers to succeed—keep them motivated, engaged, and on board?

The answer? Gratitude.

In this blog, we’ll explain why volunteer appreciation is one of the best ways to attract and retain volunteers—from understanding why volunteer appreciation is important to covering the best volunteer appreciation ideas that actually work.

What is volunteer appreciation?

According to Elisabeth Donovan, volunteer appreciation is “the intentional acknowledgment, appreciation, and encouragement of individuals who are freely contributing their time and skills to community care.”

This intentional acknowledgment is about more than just saying “thank you” (although this is certainly part of it)! Volunteer appreciation is a series of planned activities that support your overall volunteer management strategy. These activities include recognizing and sharing your volunteers' impact, giving them gifts, and investing in their futures.

Why is volunteer appreciation important?

Many consider volunteer appreciation as an afterthought or another task on a to-do list. But, it’s actually a crucial part of attracting, engaging, and retaining volunteers. 

Volunteer appreciation helps:

• Attract volunteers: Studies show that when a person merely witnesses gratitude in action (for example, a nonprofit thanks their volunteers publicly on social media), they’re more inspired to act themselves.
  
  
• Engage volunteers: When volunteers feel appreciated and respected for their efforts, they’re more likely to engage in prosocial behavior, or voluntary, altruistic behavior.
  
  
• Retain volunteers: The more gratitude a volunteer receives, the more likely they are to keep volunteering for the same cause again.

Volunteer recognition ideas that make a difference

• Offer leadership opportunities: According to a study, 36% of people stop participating in an opportunity because the work is not challenging enough for them. By offering leadership opportunities—like managing a volunteer group, or a specific initiative—your nonprofit can show volunteers you appreciate their efforts and respect their expertise.
  
  
• Give free career training: Lots of volunteers support organizations not just because it makes them feel good, but because it can actually help bolster resumes. To thank volunteers for their hard work, offer one-on-one career training from professionals in your community. Invite retired professionals to mentor fellow volunteers, sharing their expertise across various fields and backgrounds.
  
  
• Integrate volunteer feedback: One of the best ways to show volunteers you care and respect them is to reflect on the systems your volunteers interact with and the feedback they’ve given you, and implement changes for improvement.
  
  
• Make awards: Take your “thank you” up a notch and award volunteers specific recognition, like “most tenacious” and “most creative.” This method makes volunteers seen and appreciated in a thoughtful, personal way.
  
  
• Create impact videos: Create a video montage showcasing the impact of volunteers’ work, featuring interviews with beneficiaries, staff, and the volunteers themselves. Edit the footage into a heartfelt video montage and premiere it at a special "movie night" event or share it online.
  
  
• Send badges: When a volunteer achieves a goal, send badges and custom awards to celebrate.
  
  
• Assemble volunteer resumes: Make volunteers feel like an integral part of your team but send them a detailed “resume” of their efforts, including their personal volunteer data like hours worked, impact value, and more. Volunteers can also use this letter as supporting evidence for college applications, resumes, and employee grant programs.
  
  
• Launch a “Volunteer of the Month” feature: Recognize your most active volunteers each month with a “Volunteer of the Month” award. You’ll acknowledge their dedication and even invite a bit of light-hearted competition. Feature your monthly volunteers on your website, newsletter, and social media accounts.
  
  
• Tell their story: Interview your special volunteers, write about why they’re important to your community, and pitch the story to the local newspaper, share it on your website, or include it in a monthly newsletter.
  
  
• Master the “thank you for volunteering” letter: Instead of simply thanking your volunteers for their time (which should still happen often), this letter recognizes their specific impacts. It aims to show your volunteers that their efforts have real, powerful outcomes and that your organization is tracking them.

• Host a volunteer appreciation event: As a hardworking volunteer manager, you probably understand the value of going the extra mile. A special night out lets volunteers know you see them. Invite a special speaker—like a community member—and pick a theme (like “Volunteer community!”) for an unforgettable event.
  
  
• Celebrate Volunteer Week: National Volunteer Week is a national holiday that happens around the second week of April that honors and recognizes the contributions of volunteers. To celebrate, launch a week-long campaign across social media, direct mail, and more, to highlight your volunteers’ roles in your organization.
  
  
• Design a volunteer program yearbook: Put together a yearbook or collection of photos of your volunteers at work, your services (like before and after pictures of a park you improved), and those your program serves. Your volunteers can reflect fondly upon their experiences with your program and the smiling faces of the community members they work with.
  
  
• Collect letters or cards from your community: If you can, invite community members to write or dictate letters or cards to the volunteers who have made a difference locally.
  
  
• Offer exclusive perks: Provide special perks such as discounts at local businesses, passes to events, free parking spots, or access to exclusive organizational events and resources.
  
  
• Give tickets or gift cards: Ask local productions, museums, and restaurants to donate a pair of tickets or gift cards to a show or dining experience. For some extra appreciation, include child care if you’re giving away an experience to busy parents!
  
  
• Design custom swag: Consider customizing eco-friendly gifts like reusable water bottles or bags made from recycled materials. 

When to show appreciation to your volunteers

You might be wondering: But when is the right time to thank volunteers?

The short answer is: nonprofits should engage in volunteer appreciation frequently. After all, volunteer appreciation isn't just a one-time event; it's a continuous process that nurtures and sustains the volunteer community.

The easiest way to remember to do volunteer appreciation is at each touchpoint in the volunteer journey:

Shift-related

• At sign up: Send a thank you message after they sign up for an opportunity.
  
  
• Before a shift begins: Gather volunteers on-site or send a virtual message before they begin their shifts, and extend a personal thank-you.
  
  
• At the end of a shift: Thank volunteers for their time and accomplishments once their shift is over. If you're thanking your virtual or remote volunteers, send an email or text instead.
  
  
• A few days later: Send an email recognizing a volunteer's contributions a few days after their participation.

Throughout the year

• Monthly or quarterly: Consider consistently thanking volunteers for their efforts, either monthly or quarterly, with volunteer spotlights, impact assessments, and more.
  
  
• Annually: Consider thanking volunteers at the end of every year, either through social media, letters, or even in your annual report as you reflect on the year’s accomplishments.
  
  
• Randomly: From hosting a surprise car wash to treating volunteers to a local theater show, these unexpected gestures can boost morale and make volunteers feel like rock stars.
  
  
• At specific milestones: Set up automatic alerts for when volunteers reach significant milestones, such as 50, 100, or 500 hours. Celebrate these milestones with personalized certificates, public acknowledgments in newsletters or meetings, or small gifts in order to encourage ongoing engagement.

Volunteer appreciation best practices

Be specific

When thanking volunteers, it’s essential to be specific about their impact. Using a volunteer management system, log each volunteer’s hours, specific tasks they worked on, and the outcomes of those tasks. That way,  when it comes time to give thanks, you can be as detailed as possible.

And don't forget to translate that data into tangible outcomes, too. For example, "Your 50 hours of volunteer work helped us serve 300 meals to our community," or "Thanks to your 20 hours of administrative support, we were able to process 100 more applications." 

Get personal

When thanking a volunteer, it's also crucial to use their name—whether it’s a thank-you letter, an email, or a face-to-face conversation.

If you can, incorporate known personal details about the volunteer to make the message more relatable and warm. For example, "I know you love photography, and your skills truly shone through in the event photos you took. They captured the essence of our mission beautifully."

Avoid a one-size-fits-all approach

One of the most important parts of volunteer appreciation is that it shouldn’t be cookie-cutter.

“[We] need to be better at finding out what is meaningful for people instead of assuming that what [we] know is best.” says, Faiza Venzant, CVA, Executive Director of the Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration.

Spend time getting to know your volunteer base by sending surveys or scheduling one-on-ones to find out information like their:

• Motivations: Some volunteers support the mission because doing good feels good. Others have additional motivations like building resumes or socializing.
  
  
• Interests: Match appreciation with volunteers' interests. For example, if a volunteer enjoys writing, give a related gift (books, journals, high-quality writing tools, etc).
  
  
• “Language” of appreciation: Venzant notes in Get Connected’s Volunteer Recognition webinar that just like there are 5 “love languages,” there are 5 “appreciation languages,” too. Observe and talk with volunteers to find out what they appreciate most—words of affirmation, quality time, acts of service, gifts, or physical touch (like a consented high-five or handshake).
  
  
• Demographics: If applicable, tailor your appreciation efforts to be culturally inclusive and relevant. For example, acknowledge cultural holidays and traditions in your communications and celebrations.

Invest in technology

One of the best ways to stay on top of your volunteer appreciation is by making it an automatic part of your operations.

Instead of relying on spreadsheets, use volunteer management software that allows you to automate your communications and notes of appreciation. So, for example, when a volunteer signs up for a volunteer shift, they promptly receive a thank you. 

Elevate your volunteer appreciation ideas with Get Connected 

Volunteer appreciation is about so much more than sending a follow-up email after an event and checking it off of your to-do list. Effective volunteer appreciation—personalized and meaningful—has the power to engage and retain current volunteers and even attract new ones.

With an all-in-one volunteer management software, nonprofits can take their volunteer appreciation to a whole new level. With custom award badges, automated notifications, volunteer resumes, and so much more, any nonprofit can make volunteer appreciation a simple, easy, and incredibly powerful part of its organization.

Get a free demo →