Kin Blog

A hot topic in the non-profit sector is how to properly recognize volunteers. Knowing how to do this and engaging your volunteers will go a long way in providing a good volunteer experience. (Not to mention the benefits of when those positive experiences are shared with others; word of mouth is arguably the most effective marketing tool out there!).

Ensuring volunteers feel valued and see the impact of their commitment is vital. The good news is, doing this is actually also very cost-effective!

According to the 2013 Volunteer Recognition Study by Volunteer Canada and Investors Group, “Volunteers want to be thanked and shown how they have made a difference – they want to know the impact of their contributions.”

Most – if not all – non-profits track the impact of their efforts. Sharing this information with the people who helped you achieve goals and milestones just makes sense. The more specific you can be about their impact the better.

Another interesting finding from the study was that 70% of volunteers would  like recognition in the form of personal thanks on a regular basis. It’s important to note though that volunteers want this thanks to be informal; the least preferred way they’d like to be recognized is at banquets, formal gatherings, public acknowledgement, and so on.

The study also uncovered a disparity between what volunteers want and what organizations think they need to budget for volunteer recognition. There seems to be a common misconception that a big budget is needed for volunteer recognition. But, through sharing their impact and engaging them with personal thanks, you can properly recognize volunteers without breaking the bank.

Staying on top of these trends will help tons of non-profits put a proper program in place, all while saving money. A win-win for everyone.