Volunteer Appreciation week is coming up and if you don’t yet have a plan to recognize your volunteers, time is running out. I have been giving it a lot of thought and have really wrestled with the appropriate way to recognize volunteers.
After talking with a few other volunteer coordinators, I have decided that it is typically not in an organization’s best interest to focus on individual recognition unless you have only a handful of volunteers. While there may be instances where it is appropriate to celebrate an unusual number of hours worked or consistent years served, it seems that it is always safe to provide a general kind of recognition.
Focusing on individual acheivement, not matter how you put it, can always run the risk of offending volunteers who give just as much if not even more to your organization. Some ideas I have for the week include post cards saying thanks, mass e-mails, press releases, and posters in major locations around town such as cafes and supermarkets.
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Ed Cyzewski: Author // Contemplative 