How to Give Thanks for Your Volunteers This Thanksgiving

Turkey time is just around the corner, and it’s more important than ever to show your volunteers just how much you value them. Take this November as a time for giving thanks for volunteers, with some simple but effective tokens of appreciation.

Recognize Them Online

Create a post on social media that props up your volunteers and shows gratitude for all of their hard work. Make your thanksgiving messages for volunteers more sincere by sending them an email on Thanksgiving Day, which is a little more personal.

Make sure you focus on the volunteers and their efforts, rather than asking them to do more for the organization. This message is about appreciation.

Send Thank-You Cards

Simple thank-you cards are an excellent gesture, especially if your team is small enough that you can handwrite them. Thank-you cards can be a heartfelt, cost-effective way to show your appreciation.

Recognize Specific Team Members

Recognize individuals who have gone above and beyond for your organization. You can include a section in your email about these people, send them special gifts, or give them a shout-out at an event.

However you do it, recognizing team members for their specific contributions is a great way to give some warm fuzzies, show volunteers what’s possible, and motivate everyone in the audience.

Create a Video

Take a few minutes to record people giving thanks to volunteers. The speaker can be one person who coordinates volunteers or a selection of people affected by your organization speaking about the impact of the volunteers. Thoughtful messaging from these people can go a long way in giving volunteers a rewarding display of the effects of the work they’re doing.

Make a Thank-You Tree

If you’re not opposed to putting up holiday decorations before December, a thank-you tree is a wonderful way to brag about your volunteers and show your appreciation. Simply get a miniature Christmas tree — or a full-sized one, if your team is large enough — and create handmade ornaments with pictures of your volunteers and handwritten notes on the back about their contributions.

You can show them off in your lobby or office so everyone who walks through can see this supporting team.

Give Small Gifts

If you have the resources and you want to thank your volunteers with more than a message, you could send them small gifts. These can include:

  • Small gift cards.
  • Branded accessories like water bottles, tote bags and blankets.
  • Mini photo books of the team’s efforts throughout the year.
  • Artwork or letters from those served by the organization.

Things to Keep in Mind

Volunteer recognition is an important part of ensuring their continued support and making sure they grasp how much their hard work is valued. And this isn’t a task that should be done once a year. Provide support on an ongoing basis so volunteers don’t lose sight of the effects of their contributions.

Still, Thanksgiving is an opportunity for special recognition, especially before the busy holiday season kicks into high gear.

Hopefully, by implementing some of these Thanksgiving ideas for volunteers, you can encourage additional support and show your appreciation for your helpers with some meaningful, cost-effective measures.

See How Volgistics Can Help!

Keeping your volunteer data organized makes it easier to see the impact your volunteers have and recognize them for it. Volgistics’ built-in award tracking can help you find volunteers who have reached certain milestones, and you can easily send bulk email and text messages. Sign up for a demo today to see how Volgistics can help you organize your volunteer data!