Free Volunteer Appreciation Toolkit
Ever wondered: What is something nice to say to volunteers? We've got just the thing.
Check out our top volunteer quotes nonprofits can use at any time — for inspiring, appreciating, and connecting with your supporters.
How and Why to Use Volunteer Quotes
Quotes about volunteering in your community have a special way of sparking engagement and commitment. In fact, they are one of the simplest volunteer appreciation ideas that actually work.
Whether it's a striking image with a motivational quote or a carefully chosen line that speaks to our mission, volunteer quotes have the power to connect people more closely with our cause.
If you're trying to market your volunteer program on social media, trying to describe the volunteer experience, or simply trying to thank volunteers in a volunteer thank you letter, this list will help you find the perfect sentiment.
Volunteers Quotes for Appreciation and Recognition
“Volunteers don’t get paid, not because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.” —Sherry Anderson
“No one is more cherished in this world than someone who lightens the burden of another. Thank you.” —Author Unknown
“No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks.” —James Allen
“Volunteers are love in motion!” —Author Unknown
“One can pay back the loan of gold, but one dies forever in debt to those who are kind.” —Malayan Proverb
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” —Aesop
“Gratitude is the memory of the heart.” —Jean Baptiste Massieu
"We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop.” —Mother Teresa
“Unselfish and noble actions are the most radiant pages in the biography of souls.” —David Thomas
Inspiration Volunteer Quotes
"If you can't feed a hundred people, then just feed one." —Mother Teresa
"Volunteers are not paid - not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless." —Shirley Temple Black
“Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”
—Martin Luther King Jr.
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others."
—Gandhi
"Volunteering is at the very core of being a human. No one has made it through life without someone else's help." —Heather French Henry
"Volunteerism is the voice of the people put into action. These actions shape and mold the present into a future of which we can all be proud." —Helen Dyer
"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." —Margaret Mead
"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."
—Winston Churchill
"Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much." —Helen Keller
"Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around." —Leo Buscaglia
Famous Quotes on Volunteering
"The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don't wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope."
—Barack Obama
"Volunteering is an act of heroism on a grand scale. And it matters profoundly. It does more than help people beat the odds; it changes the odds." —William J. Clinton
"Every person can make a difference, and every person should try."
—President John F. Kennedy
"No one has ever become poor by giving." —Anne Frank
"The simplest acts of kindness are by far more powerful than a thousand heads bowing in prayer." —Mahatma Gandhi
"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, what are you doing for others?" —Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth."
—Muhammad Ali
"Spread your love everywhere you go." —Mother Teresa
"As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands — one for helping yourself, the other for helping others." —Audrey Hepburn
Quotes About the Power of Volunteering
"Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in." —Unknown
"Volunteering is an act of supreme optimism that things can be better and that we can make them better." — John Bridgeland
"Volunteers don't necessarily have the time; they just have the heart." —Elizabeth Andrew
"Give your hands to serve and your hearts to love." —Mother Teresa
"The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." —Mahatma Gandhi
Volunteer Quotes for Expressing Gratitude
"Those humble, quiet, behind-the-scenes people are the reason anything ever gets done." —Terri Guillemets
"The very best way to help yourself and your community is by becoming an active volunteer." —Patrick Lencioni
“The heart of a volunteer is not measured in size, but by the depth of the commitment to make a difference in the lives of others.” —DeAnn Hollis
“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others and the world remains and is immortal.” —Albert Pike
“Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.” —William James
“I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a catcher's mitt on both hands; you need to be able to throw something back.” —Maya Angelou
The Power of Volunteer Quotes
As volunteer leaders, these quotes help us inspire, celebrate, and encourage our teams, staying true to our organization's mission and values.
Looking to enhance your volunteer appreciation efforts?
Grab our Volunteer Appreciation Toolkit and subscribe to Volunteer Management Insider for practical tips on using quotes to boost your program's impact.
