It Doesn’t Have to Be a Gift Card: Free and Low-Cost Ways to Say Thanks to Volunteers

1. It Doesn’t Have to Be a Gift Card: Free and Low-Cost Ways to Say Thanks to Volunteers Rob Podlasek World-Renown Volunteer Recognition Expert

2. Agenda • Welcome and Warm Up • Principles of Volunteer Recognition • Volunteer Motivations • Volunteer Recognition Ideas

3. Warm Up: • What is your favorite and least favorite way to be thanked?

5. Why Say Thanks?

6. Tip #1: Recognize the Behavior You Want to Encourage • Longevity/Volume • Complexity • Leadership • Impact • Specific Skill

7. Tip #2: Deliver recognition in an open, public way…and in person. • Balance personalization with consistency • Establish organizational guidelines • Don’t annoy your accountant • The IRS is watching

8. Tip #3: Reward contribution close to the time an achievement isrealized. Good Recognition is ongoing.

9. Tip #4: Connect accomplishments and thanks

11. I like it when you… • Thanks for… • Here is your certificate for…

12. Tip #5: Tailor your thanks to the people involved.

13. In order to tailor your thanks to the people involved, what do you need to know about the people involved? • Personal interests • Why motivated to volunteer • Why motivated to volunteer in ABE/ESL

14. Types of Volunteer Motivation • Affiliation • Achievement • Influence

15. Affiliation • Seeks socialization opportunities. • Gets involved with group projects. • Likes to have a personal relationship with supervisor. • Needs to be perceived as a good person. • Needs to be liked.

16. Ideas for Thanking • Cards, gifts, etc. on their birthdays, or special holidays. • Letters to supervisors telling of their work to benefit people. • Unexpected thank you notes. • Awards that are personalized with a thank you from client served. • Opportunities to give input about specific clientele needs. • Banquets, luncheons, picnics, social outings or attending community events as a group. • Include volunteers in slide shows or photos showing their work.

17. Preferred Way of Networking

18. Achievement • Needs specific goals with boundaries and feedback. • Has a desire to achieve unique accomplishments. • Needs to measure success. • Seeks responsibility. • Needs tangible rewards.

19. Ideas for Thanking • Tangible awards, plaques, or pins that can be displayed. • Letters of commendation for specific accomplishments from board members and to area newspapers. • Opportunity to use their own ideas to attain goals. • Include in staff meetings when appropriate. • Nomination for area, state or national awards. • Careful not to waste their time. • Color name tags, badges to honor time spent with the agency. • Remind them that they are needed. Everyday.

20. Preferred Way to Show Proof of Impact

23. Influence • Needs to impact and influence others. • Enjoys teaching others. • Seeks position of authority and responsibility. • Responds to titles that depict authority; has strong feelings about status and prestige.

24. Ideas for Thanking • Impressive job title. • Ongoing program or site name for them. • Recognition that is broad-based that will be seen by people in authority and power. • Letter of commendation noting their impact and importance sent to newspapers, colleges, and magazines. • Send them to seminars for volunteers and ask them to teach others. • Introduce them to people of influence and media contacts. • Give them the opportunity for input into the agency direction and decisions.

28. Tip #6: Not Everyone Likes Mint

29. Tip #7: Recognize recognition That is, recognize people who recognize others for doing what’s best for the organization.

30. Reflection