Five Easy Ways to Show Volunteers You Care

By: Julie Utano, Managing Director

I was recently reading an email thread on LinkedIn where a member was complaining that after years of volunteering for an organization as a task force and committee member, he felt unseen by the organization itself.

What caused this reaction? He had received a generic email sent to all members with a personalized greeting asking him to volunteer. This individual was already a volunteer and had been for years. He felt unseen, undervalued, and unappreciated. His reaction? He wasn’t going to renew his membership.

Many groups communicate regularly with chairs/leaders of committees, work groups, etc., allowing those individuals to receive first-hand feedback from the organization’s leadership. But what about regular members who serve in those groups? They can, and often are, the unsung heroes of an organization. Many do not aspire to lead a committee or work group, or to take on additional leadership roles in the organization, but the work they do is still very important.

How can your organization let those volunteers know they are valued and that you care? Here are five (5) easy ways to help your organization recognize its unsung heroes:

1. Personalize communication for the organization where you can. Know who your committee members are and create a separate mailing list for them. Segregate your lists and give slightly different messages to your different groups. For instance: When issuing a Call for Volunteer share two emails –one for people who have never volunteered and one for folks who have. This can be done for other types of emails as well; writing a more personalized email will make recipients feel like they are receiving special “insider” messaging. Target the first few sentences and – presto! — you are done.

• • A generic email can be sent to members who have never volunteered soliciting their participation.
  • Alternatively, a thank you email to those who are currently volunteering shows a personal touch. You can ask them to share their volunteer experience with peers and encourage them to recruit volunteers.

2. Recognize all volunteers at your Annual Conference. List all committee members in your annual meeting program. Ask all volunteers to stand during a general session and thank them for their service, it can be a powerful statement when they all stand in unison. It can also be a great encouragement for others to get involved, too.Most groups put board and committee chair ribbons on conference badges. Consider putting committee member ribbons on them as well.
3. Thank them! Send a letter to each committee member at least once a year from the President which thanks all members for giving their time and energy to helping the organization. Volunteer recognition week in mid-April is a great time to do so. And, at the very least, thank them at the end of each term for their service.
4. Reward them! When a committee achieves something or does a great job, ensure the President sends a thank you letter to everyone on the committee praising their work. Consider giving them a branded gift or discount conference registration as token of the organization’s appreciation. Even a $10 discount goes a long way!
5. Help them. Develop a resource page for volunteers. Include key organizational documents, bylaws, strategic plan, Robert’s Rules, etc.. so that resources are easy to find. This kind of support will make volunteers feel prepared and competent to be effective.

Also consider developing volunteer training workshop or mini workshops on topics such as teambuilding, insider tips on working within your organizational structure, effective communication, etc. Workshops can be live for volunteers and recorded for those who cannot attend and stored on your volunteer resources page.

Members, especially those who give their time and energy to making an organization successful, want to feel that they are making a difference and adding value. By implementing a few processes to help them, we can make their volunteer experience a rewarding one that will help your organization for years to come.

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