Rewarding your volunteers
THE TAKEAWAY: Showing gratitude for your volunteers' efforts
will help
ensure they feel appreciated and that they are more likely to line up
to help again next time.
An organisation that values its volunteers tends to attract
more
volunteer help, meaning there are more people helping with every
activity - and getting more done.
Rewarding your volunteers can be done in many ways, some of
them
simple, some requiring a little more thought. Some ideas include:
Celebrating volunteers
- Hold social events a few times a year - where the
volunteers can relax,
rather than work.
- Put on a function at least once a year exclusively to
celebrate your
volunteers. Provide a few drinks, nibblies, or a barbecue.
- Invite volunteers to your end-of-year party and other
functions held
during the year.
- Work at building team spirit and a sense of belonging - for
example, by
providing volunteers with team t-shirts or badges.
Recognising volunteers
- List volunteers' names where appropriate - in your
newsletter, annual
report, and on your website, for example.
- Thank your volunteers publicly in speeches and other
presentations.
Respecting volunteers
- Give your volunteers the training they need. Find out their
expectations for their contribution and help them learn new things.
- Supervise your volunteers properly and offer them resources
and support.
- Don't under-value your volunteers' contribution - demand
that they do a
good job.
- Consult your volunteers. Ask them to suggest other
volunteers and seek
their opinion on things going on in the organisation. Brainstorm for
their ideas.
- Tell your volunteers about your organisation's complaints
and grievance
resolution procedures in case they have a problem.
- Challenge your volunteers. Find them tasks that produce
results worth
as much as what they have put in. Allocate their time just as if they
were paid staff.
- Make the most of your volunteers' particular skills and
abilities - use
them for your organisation's best benefit. It will also give them
confidence because they will know what they are doing.
- Survey your volunteers to find out whether or not they are
satisfied
with the way your organisation uses them.
More
info: How to value volunteer labour.
