Whether they’re supporting day-to-day operations, fundraisers, or community programs, volunteers put your mission into action through their contributions of time and dedication. Given how valuable volunteers are to your organization (in fact, just one hour of the average nonprofit volunteer’s time is worth $34.79), there is no question that they deserve your appreciation!

Recognition contributes to more satisfied volunteers who stay engaged longer and may step into leadership roles in your program. However, accommodating various volunteers’ preferences and aligning your appreciation efforts with other aspects of volunteer management requires strategy and thoughtfulness.

In this guide, we’ll explore the key benefits of volunteer recognition and discuss practical tips to effectively show gratitude within your program.

Benefits of Volunteer Recognition

Meaningful recognition does more than just say “thank you” to volunteers. As Better Impact’s Volunteer Appreciation guide explains, your organization can also tap into advantages like:

  • Improved program satisfaction, since volunteers who feel appreciated are more likely to enjoy their shifts and be motivated to do their best work.
  • A way to build on your engagement efforts by showing that you care about them as individuals, not just sources of free labor.
  • Increased retention because happy, valued volunteers are more likely to stick around long-term.
  • Other forms of supportive volunteer involvement, like donating, attending events, or advocating for your cause.

To maximize these benefits, consider investing in volunteer program software that allows you to securely track data on your appreciation efforts and integrate recognition into a complete, streamlined volunteer management process.

Tips to Effectively Recognize Volunteers

Now that you know why you should appreciate volunteers, let’s explore how to do so effectively. Keep in mind that every volunteer is unique, so some may respond better to certain expressions of gratitude than others (which is why tracking data is important—to figure out the best ways to recognize everyone in your program).

1. Personalize Thank-You Notes

Thank-you notes are a tried-and-true appreciation method, but an email or mailer that begins with something like “Dear Valued Volunteer, Thank you for contributing your time and talent to [Organization Name]!” will quickly end up in recipients’ digital or physical trash cans. Instead, your thank-you notes need to be personalized to each volunteer to be truly meaningful. 

Here are some tips to make this happen:

  • Address each volunteer by their preferred name. If volunteers see their name after “Dear” rather than a generic phrase, they’ll be more likely to read the whole note. Make sure to spell each volunteer’s name correctly and note if they go by a nickname or other name that’s different from their legal first name.
  • Mention the recipient’s specific involvement. Each volunteer contributes a different amount of time and a unique skillset to your mission. They should know that all of these contributions are valuable in their own right, whether you tell them, “Thank you for helping with setup and tear-down at our animal shelter adoption event last weekend!” or “Thank you for spending 40 hours walking our rescue dogs over the past year!”
  • Illustrate impact. Incorporate statistics and true stories that relate to volunteers’ individual engagement to show them the difference they’ve made through their work. If a staff member, beneficiary, or other volunteer shares how a specific individual helped them, include that testimonial in their thank-you note with the contributor’s permission.

Although creating customizable templates for email or direct mail thank-you notes makes it easy to appreciate many volunteers at once, you might also experiment with unique formats (e.g., short videos or digital greeting cards) to make your messages stand out as time and resources allow.

2. Use Public & Private Recognition Strategies

Volunteers who go above and beyond for your organization (those who serve the most hours, complete major projects, take on leadership roles, etc.) deserve more than just a thank-you note. Some of these individuals may be happy to be recognized publicly through:

  • Appreciation events. According to 360MatchPro’s volunteering statistics roundup, 35% of volunteers cite socialization as one of the reasons they volunteer. Hosting an appreciation luncheon, dinner, or happy hour will give your volunteers this opportunity while showing them your gratitude.
  • Shoutouts. You could spotlight dedicated volunteers on your organization’s website, on social media, or in your annual report. Ask volunteers for a photo and a brief testimonial about why they enjoy volunteering in your program, and include third-party quotes (similar to those you might include in a thank-you note) as appropriate.
  • Awards. If you use a volunteer portal or app, consider giving digital badges to your top volunteers that they can display in their profiles. Or, you could turn your appreciation event into an awards ceremony and hand out physical certificates or plaques.

Remember to ask volunteers for their consent before you recognize them publicly. If anyone says no, you could mail them an award or send a small gift along with your thank-you note to show how much they mean to your organization privately.

3. Ask for Program Feedback

To truly show volunteers you value them, you need to give them a voice in shaping your volunteer program’s offerings and culture. Send out periodic surveys or hold check-in meetings with individual volunteers to solicit feedback. Some questions you could ask through either of these channels include:

  • On a scale of 1-10, how would you rate your overall volunteer experience?
  • What motivated you to start volunteering with our organization?
  • Do you feel adequately supported in your volunteer role? (If not, what else could we do to support you?)
  • Are there any additional training resources or skill development opportunities you wish we offered?
  • What recognition methods or strategies have been (or would be) most meaningful to you?
  • What has been your favorite thing about your volunteer work to date?
  • What is one thing you’d change about our program to make your experience more rewarding or effective?

Track volunteers’ responses to these questions in your volunteer management software so you can analyze them all together. If you implement any of the suggestions you receive, communicate it to your volunteers so they know their voices have been heard.

Volunteer recognition is an integral part of sustaining your program. By tailoring your appreciation strategies to individuals’ preferences, leveraging the right tools, and creating a feedback loop, your organization can foster an engaged, motivated, and loyal volunteer base.

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