Recognition - Recognition Helpful hints

Recognition | Recognition guidelines | Helpful hints

1. Some helpful hints to personalizing your recognition
2. Recognition ideas
3. At-a-glance ideas

Some helpful hints to personalizing your recognition

Personalizing your volunteer recognition component of your program is the best form of showing appreciation for the contribution of volunteers. A generic message does not recognize an individual's contribution, which is the only external cue that tells a volunteer that they are doing a good and worthy job.

Here are some helpful hints on recognizing your volunteers:

• When your volunteer does something that has really helped the organization, remember to write down the impact, so that when you write a card or give a speech to recognize that volunteer, you will have different messages for each volunteer, instead of using the same language for each one.
• Be aware of volunteers' interests through conversations and observation. That way, when it comes time to give them recognition gifts you can get them something that they will really appreciate, and they will also know that you are interested in them.
• Ask other volunteers, clients or staff about the volunteers efforts and personality. This will help you to get an idea of how others see this person, and will make the volunteer feel more included in the group, knowing how others perceive them.
• Find out what types of foods your volunteers like - then randomly present them with treats, just to let them know that they are appreciated. Sometimes group volunteer recognition events loses the individual element of each volunteers contribution, so small, periodic random gifts can help to eliminate this problem.
• Celebrate volunteers birthdays and let all staff know when that birthday is. For many people, just knowing that everyone in an organization is aware of you and shows interest can help you to realize that the organization appreciates your contribution

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Recognition ideas

The following are a few recognition ideas that you can customize to fit your volunteers:

"Thanks for "Raisin" All Those Funds
One idea to recognize volunteers is to take a small box of raisins, attach a strip of magnetic tape to the back and attach a small note saying "Thanks for raisin all those funds". These can be put on refrigerators or filling cabinets at work.

Here are a few other versions of this idea:

Give your volunteers a bag of mixed nuts with a note attached stating, "We would go 'nuts' without your support!". This is a great, but simple, recognition for volunteers.

Use votive candles for National Volunteer Week. Wrap them in cellophane and tie them with a note stating, "You light up the lives of so many!". You can also use notes stating, "You lighten our load by volunteering."

Historical context: Fill an heirloom box with artifacts from the organization's past, and include a note that says "Thank you for being part of our history in the making".

*Namesake Awards
Use a special method of recognition by naming awards after long-standing, stellar volunteer role models. Additionally, they have a 'batch' of volunteers that enter their organization together, during specific times of the year. These groups are usually 'named' after an extraordinary volunteer, a namesake, if you will. Part of this group's orientation includes information about this individual, and if possible, the honoree also addresses the group.

Historical context: Include as much historical background about this person as possible in the orientation.

*Bookmark
Use children's drawings to make a bookmark. Laminate it and include a message on the back. It's a wonderful token and also inexpensive!

Historical context: Pictures could be of a past charitable event and the message could be historic.

*Thank-you posters by Children
The United Way does the usual recognition dinner, certificates, plaques, personally signed letters, etc. However, the United Way of Gloucester County's most popular recognition program is "Thank You Posters" created by children from local agencies. These hand-drawn posters are very popular and hang in the main lobby of several large companies. They don't cost much to produce, just some posterboard and crayons/markers. Plus, the children enjoy creating them and often create more than one. They have been doing this for five years now and the activity gets more popular each year.

Historical context: Have youth depict their vision of how volunteering has helped shaped Canada's values and identity.

*Volunteer Caring Kit
The Volunteer Caring Kit can include:

• Paper clips: Paper clips have many uses, just like each volunteer has many talents. Paper clips are also used to hold a program together and provide guidance to youth.
• Rubber Bands: Rubber bands represent the flexibility that all volunteers need to have. You can adapt to any different situation. As volunteers, you can also stretch your own abilities to have new opportunities.
• Band Aids: Band aids help others and are sensitive to others feelings, just as volunteers have to be keyed-in to the feelings of those they work with.
• Coin: This coin represents a quarter to call and ask for help and to remind you that you are not alone.
• Paper Bill: this money calculates the contribution that volunteers make to a program through their donation of time.
• Balloon: This balloon expands and grows as you learn from others.
• Heart Sticker: This heart represents the ability to reach out to youth. You care about our youth and what they are doing.
• Mint: This mint represents the fact that each of you is worth a mint. Volunteers are very special and really make a difference.
• Lifesavers: Lifesavers represent the special contribution to a program that each volunteer makes and emphasizes that each of us are unique and different just like the rainbow of colour of lifesavers and that there is a place in the organization for everyone.
• Safety Pin: A safety pin to remind you that you are bright and sharp and utterly indispensable.

Compile all these items in a bag and photocopy the "instructions of the caring kit". Give each volunteer a small token.

Historical context: Include one artifact from your organization's past and include a note about how all volunteers make a difference.

*A Personal Note
It's not earth-shattering, but volunteers really appreciate and respond to the personal notes sent out periodically by the Wheelchair Recycling Program Manager. On their organization's note-cards, or specially chosen cards for the individual volunteer, the volunteers are reminded of how important his/her efforts are to the organization. A recently accomplished task or project is emphasized and shown how it affected the organizations operation. When a volunteer group is hosted by the organization, the number of volunteers is multiplied by the number of hours they've worked, then divided out to let the volunteers know how many (non-stop!) eight hour days it would have taken the tiny staff to complete the same volume of work. It's often quite staggering!

*Personal Notes from Recipients
One agency that serves the deaf by reading and interpreting information recognized their volunteers in a very special way. The volunteers didn't usually interact with the clients, since the reading was done over the radio. At the recognition event, each volunteer had a letter at his/her plate that was dictated by a listener of the show for which the volunteer read. The letter spoke about the reader and how his/her tone of voice made the listener feel and how it helped the listener to hear the piece of the newspaper that was read (or whatever). The letters were typed on special paper and framed nicely. The coordination of it was work, of course, but the recognition didn't take any time away from the event, which already had a full agenda. The volunteers reported it was the recognition with the most impact they had ever received. They heard directly from their listeners and learned how important they were - personally.

*Mini-Grants to Volunteers
For several years, the County Commissioners (of Colorado USA) have awarded mini-grants to volunteers in the County government volunteer programs. Volunteers submit proposals for grants that will benefit the work of their volunteer program, the clients served by the volunteer program, or the program volunteers. Examples of this are: a demonstration project; the enhancement of a current project; the purchase of a piece of equipment or supplies that will improve or enhance the volunteer experience or the volunteer program; training or publications that will increase volunteer skills or knowledge. Awards are made at a Commissioners' meeting followed by a reception. The volunteers are recognized publicly as are the very creative programs in which they work.

*More than a Plaque or Certificate
Some ideas that are not the usual plaque or certificate:

• Send a "thought-you'd-like-to-know" letter to the volunteer's employer, acknowledging his or her positive contribution to your organization.
• Ask volunteers or staff members to train other volunteers or staff members, to lead meetings to give presentations, etc.
• Forget separate luncheons for deserving staff and volunteers. Bring them together for a joint recognition lunch in their honor.
• Send an anniversary card to volunteers or staff, highlighting their year(s) of service. Note how they made a difference in your organization over the past year.

Historical context: Prepare a short history of each volunteer's involvement in the organization and how it has made a difference to the community.

*Ice Cream Sundaes Show How Volunteers Help a Program
One Community Action Agency relies heavily on volunteers for everything from filing to riding school buses. An event was celebrated recently where each of the program directors discussed how volunteers helped to run the programs. While each director talked, their staff helped to build brownie sundaes. One program started with the foundations (plates), the next put the brownies, then the whipped topping, cherries and nuts until we had 150 sundaes. It symbolized visually how our volunteers affect each part of our organization and by working together we can accomplish great things!

*A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words!
For two months before the recognition event, the director of volunteers of a mental health centre began to take photographs of volunteers while they were "on the job". They thought this was for PR purposes. At the event, each volunteer received a photo of him/herself in a matte frame imprinted with a 'thank you' message.

Historical context: Use black and white film and develop the pictures with a sepia tone and put in an old-fashioned frame. The message on the frame could say "Thanks for being part of our past, our present, and our future."

*A Lasting Impression
Graduating student volunteers can be given a special seminar on resume writing, with emphasis on how they can describe their volunteer work as a credential that would impress prospective employers or university admissions officers.

*Volunteer Mural
Many years ago South Carolina had a construction project going on downtown with a rather ugly protective wall. The Volunteer Centre coordinated a community-wide volunteer recognition event that started with permission to paint this wall (it surrounded a complete city block) and the donated services of an artist who painted an outline all around it of people of every description tugging together on a rope.

The local agencies were asked to submit photographs of a representative volunteer. The photos were blown up and placed on the faces of the painted people in the mural. And then, on a designated day, all the volunteers from all the agencies were invited to come out and paint in the rest of the mural with all sorts of colours! The mural painting itself generated publicity that day (and new knowledge of volunteering in the community) and the mural stayed up for the duration of the construction project.

Historical context: The mural could depict volunteers through time and what they may have done in the community.

Student Recognition Certificates
-Volunteer Victoria

Volunteer Victoria recognizes the valuable contribution of youth volunteers by sending Youth Recognition Certificates to high schools and elementary schools. The certificates are presented at the schools' Awards Day ceremonies.

Commemorative Tree
-Community Volunteer Centre Association of Lethbridge

Each year, a commemorative tree is planted in honor of the community's volunteers, with a different volunteer group representing Lethbridge's volunteer corps each year. The city donates the labor to plant the tree in the Volunteer Grove of Trees, a local business sponsors the tree, and an agency dedicates the tree to volunteers.

Park Bench
-Halton Social Planning Council and Volunteer Centre

The centre dedicates a park bench to the area's volunteers. The bench-which overlooks a lake-is bought with a grant from the city. The centre holds a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the dedication of the bench.

Volunteer Certificate
-Sefton CVS Volunteer Bureau

The certificate, which is signed by the city's Mayor, is believed to help enhance a volunteer's job prospects, promote good practice, and raise the status of volunteering. In order to qualify for acceptance into the Volunteer Certificate activity, voluntary groups must adopt good practice and agree to a job description with the volunteers.

* Reprinted with permission from Energize Inc. Check out www.energizeinc.com for more ideas!

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At-A-Glance Ideas

Thanks to the Volunteer Centre of Kitchener-Waterloo for these great ideas:

Recognition when a volunteer joins your agency

• Send a letter of welcome (maybe a small welcome gift too)
• Provide a good role description, Issue name tag, ID card, etc.
• Provide an orientation (including an agency tour)
• Assign a space to the volunteer (place to put coat, purse, on- going work, etc.)
• Publish names of new volunteers in employee / volunteer newsletter
• Introduce the new volunteer to other staff
• Connect the volunteer with their team leader
• Develop a talent inventory of the volunteers
• Provide a nursery

Recognition on a daily or weekly basis

• SMILE!
• Informal thank you from staff and the volunteer's supervisor
• Document their time for future evaluation
• On the job praise - with specific comments
• Provide good supervision
• Seek feedback from volunteer (suggestions / improvements)
• Show awareness / sensitivity to religious practices of the volunteer (holidays, customs, prayer rituals)
• Have agency board members talk with the front line volunteers
• Take time to talk
• Say "We missed you."
• Recognize personal problems and needs
• Use a volunteer suggestion box

Recognition on a monthly basis

• Volunteer of the Month
• Set aside time for supervision and evaluation
• Articles in newsletters
• Provide scholarships to volunteer conferences / workshops
• Letters to the editor about your agency's volunteers

Recognition at the Completion of a Special Event Project

• Say "thank you"
• Send letter of thanks to the volunteer, their boss, their school or their staff supervisor
• Write an article about the project for local newspapers or agency publication
• Take the volunteer(s) out for lunch or a coffee break
• Promotion, give the volunteer more responsibility
• Wall of fame, post up a picture of the volunteer with a summary of the project
• Write a letter to prominent public figures

Recognition at Meetings with Staff or Groups

• Tell about the volunteer projects and individual volunteer accomplishments
• Praise the volunteers to others (have staff who are experiencing success with volunteers in their programs become your best advocates with the staff who may be struggling)
• Show slides or video of the volunteers at work
• Invite volunteers to staff meetings
• Provide volunteers with outside training resources

Recognition on Occasions, at Events, etc.

• Send your volunteers a birthday card
• Have an informal birthday party (a cupcake with a candle)
• Send a get well card
• Remember special event in their lives (child's wedding, job promotions, anniversary)

Recognition when a Volunteer Leaves the Agency

• Give a letter of thanks
• Give a certificate / pin of appreciation
• Write a letter of recommendation
• Write a letter of appreciation / commendation to present employer
• Have an exit interview

Where to Recognize Your Volunteers

• Volunteer Office or lounge
• Hallway in building / cafeteria
• In the community
• At shopping centres - display boards
• In the media, newspaper articles, cables TV shows, professional journals
• In your organization's newsletter or on your Web site

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