A Recipe for Success: Baking Gratitude, Creativity & Connection into Your Plans for Volunteer Appreciation Month

Appreciation month in April is just a few weeks away – and it's not too early to be crafting a plan for recognizing how your volunteer team members make an impact at your organization! 

While recognizing your volunteers during April (as part of Global Volunteer Month, or during National Volunteer week April 16-22, 2023) should just be a piece of the way you show folks how valued they are, this annual milestone is an opportunity to really make a splash!  

Here are a few tips to make the volunteers at your organization feel special:  

Get in the mindset: You don't need to have a big budget to make people feel valued.  Spend some time reflecting on how the work of your volunteers has positively impacted your organization, people in your community, and you personally!  Get a little vulnerable.  This is an opportunity to strengthen those personal connections that are the true currency in making volunteers feel valued.  Find a way to share your heart-felt reflections:  personalized thank you cards, a recorded video message, or an email to your team.  

Get your whole team involved: Bring cohesiveness to your volunteer appreciation celebrations by working with others at your organization to gather input and messages of thanks.  Stories, photos, quotes, and data that shows impact are all great content to bring together.  Ask your CEO or Executive Director to create a message recognizing your volunteers, get your Communications team involved in sharing volunteer impact news on social media, your monthly newsletter, and on your website.  

Host an event: The options are endless when it comes to gathering people together – coffee & donut drop in, a catered meal, entertainment (play, comedian), pot luck dinner, a training or life enrichment topic, picnic or BBQ, go bowling, offer a car wash. Get creative and think about what resonates with your people and the work you do together. Have fun!

Establish annual volunteer awards or recognition categories: This one requires some thoughtful planning and a sustainability plan, but if you don't already have an annual volunteer award (or multiple!) in place you might consider developing something.  Whether volunteer of the year, team player, or something that particularly aligns with the spirit of your mission, this is a great way to recognize folks who truly go above and beyond.  You might also establish some milestones for long-term impact – volunteers who have contributed 100 hours, 500 hours, 1,000 hours, or folks who contribute both time and financial support.  Find a special way to recognize these individuals.  

At the end of the day, it's the spirit of recognition, gratitude and reinforcing personal connections that really makes an impact for volunteers.  No matter your budget, or time capacity, there will be a meaningful way for you to make sure your volunteers know just how much you value them! 

Want to brainstorm? I'd love to help you craft your plan.