Volunteer Management Newsletter Part 1 and Part 2
Using Holidays in Your Volunteer Recognition Program! Feedback From the Field and
3 Lessons
In this issue of the newsletter I wanted to give you some feedback from the field on one recent quick tip volunteer recognition idea I suggested to some subscribers. Here is the tip for those who did not see it...
Easter Eggs and Volunteer Recognition
Here's what I wrote...
I have an Easter volunteer recognition tip for you. Many people recognize their volunteers at Christmas time but few people consider the potential recognition opportunity at Easter.
Here's what one coordinator did for their 'in-house' volunteers.
Several bags containing the really small Easter eggs were purchased. Sheets of thin white cardboard were then cut into 4 cards and an egg attached with tape to each card. Quick 'themed' thank you notes were then written for each volunteer and placed overnight at their workstations...
Thanks for being so 'eggs-cellent' at what you do. You are 'eggs-tremely' important to us!
You get the idea! Sometimes the simplest ideas can be really powerful!
Here's some feedback from the field...
Judy, I would like to thank you for the Easter Egg volunteer recognition tip, I used this today at my operational meeting and printed your great little saying out with our logo on top in A4 size and placed it in a plastic display stand on the table with a basket of eggs, one egg for each volunteer to take home with them...
I have already received an e-mail of thanks from one of my volunteers for the meeting with thanks on an eggs-cellent job! It's catching on.
Regards
Sandra Frayne
A/ Volunteer Coordinator
Tourism Western Australia's West Oz Welcomers (WOW) Volunteer Program
Hi Judy,
Thanks for the volunteer recognition tip, I will tell you eggs-actly what happened. I put several
eggs in a small bags with a sticker on it with...
Dear...
We are eggs-tatic you are volunteering for us
You are eggs-cellent
Happy Easter from...
When I arrived this morning, not one single volunteer acknowledged the gift
or the thought. I was so disappointed. Anyway, have a lovely Easter, look
forward to meeting you at the High Five workshop in July.
Trish Buckley
Community Transport Officer
City of Onkaparinga, South Australia
All is not lost for Trish. Here's a follow-up email from Trish today...
Hi Judy,
Just to let you know that we held a volunteer meeting in the early evening last week. We had pizza and a guest speaker from the Police Dept who presented a talk about driver awareness (our volunteers drive buses). The community venue where we held our meeting had a bar and we found the volunteers loved their pizza and beer very much, in fact most of them came and loved it. They didn't mind that the talk took longer than they thought either. Goes to show you different rewards suit different people like you said, you just have to find the right balance!
Cheers Trish
Here are 3 lessons learned from the Easter volunteer recognition tip for those in volunteer management and volunteer recruitment..
Tip No 1 - One Size Does Not Fit All
Volunteer recognition that works for one volunteer or a group of volunteers may not be as effective with other volunteers.
Tip No 2 - Feeding Back
Just because you get little or no feedback from your volunteers on your efforts does not mean it is not appreciated by them. They just haven't said so but they may be smiling 'on the inside'.
Tip No 3 - Keep On Trying
But most of all to those in volunteer management - keep trying! Keep experimenting. Get feedback from your volunteers and ask them (or have someone independent ask them) - What did you like? What didn't you like? What would you like in the future to recognize your volunteering efforts?
Finally, here is another idea for Trish for next Easter - Easter eggs with beer centres (I think it is time to finish now).
Adapted from the book Count On Me! 501 Ideas on Retaining, Recognizing & Rewarding Volunteers by Dr Judy Esmond
Enjoy!
Judy
Dr Judy Esmond is the leading expert on how to gain, sustain and retain volunteers and members. Join up and receive FREE membership to her 'Ultimate Ideas' Mastermind Group and get the FREE E-Book and newsletter filled with 100s of ideas on volunteer management, volunteer recruitment, retention and volunteer recognition at www.morevolunteers.com
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