Motivation Reward & Recognition

Understanding how to make your volunteers feel valued is essential. Some people volunteer short term and accomplish amazing things. Others volunteer for years and contribute a lifetime of assistance. Some people are fuelled by passion, others by need, and sometimes by both. Nevertheless, one thing is clear; with a variety of volunteers you need a variety of methods to show your appreciation. One size definitely does not fit all.

An understanding of volunteer motivation and suitable rewards and recognition can ensure that volunteers' experiences are positive and gratifying which may contribute to their retention and willingness to volunteer in the future.

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Motivation

Looking at the reasons why people volunteer is extremely helpful when recruiting, but motivations are equally important when considering improving volunteer retention. Volunteering is a two-way relationship, volunteers may not be paid, but there is always something that they are seeking from the experience. This is often the hook that gets them into volunteering in the first place. Such motivations can include:

To learn new skills
To use old skills
To address a specific problem in the community
To have fun
Work experience
Feeling useful
To make friends

It helps to be aware of individual volunteer's motivations. You may choose to directly ask a volunteer during a recruitment interview or wait until you have developed a rapport with the volunteer. Either way it is important that you ask. For example if someone comes into the organisation because they want to feel ownership of a piece of work and they end up doing bits and pieces of everything, they're unlikely to be happy with their volunteer experience. If someone wants to expand social contacts and they are left performing solitary duties they may leave.

Furthermore, motivations can change which makes communication with volunteers very important. For example, someone may have started volunteering because they wanted to get out of the house for a couple of afternoons a week, but later on it may be an opportunity for personal development that really keeps them motivated. Talking to volunteers, both informally and as part of supervision meetings allows you to monitor their motivations and if possible shape their role to continue meeting their needs.

Proper supervision also assists in monitoring how volunteers are feeling about their work and life more generally. People rarely have the ability to put personal issues aside when at work and if an organisation is unable to meet volunteer's requests for flexibility when their circumstances change they are unlikely to retain the volunteer.

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Recognition and Rewards

Volunteers should feel that they are an important part of the organisation. They should be involved in decision making and their achievements should be recognised.

There are many ways of making volunteers feel involved, welcome and recognised. Different people value different forms of recognition, so here are some suggestions for both formal and informal ways of showing how much you value volunteers, but feel free to invent your own!

Formal

Volunteer events - 'A Thank You Event' as part of National Volunteers Week or Thank a Volunteer Day
Certificates - yearly or after a fixed term
Accreditation of courses and skill development training - investing money in your volunteers allows them to feel appreciated and a valued member of your organisation
Invite volunteers to meetings and include volunteers in staff meetings
Invite volunteers to join working groups, after all never underestimate the level of corporate knowledge that volunteers can hold.
Give volunteers supervisory authority, for example an opportunity to mentor new volunteers

Informal

Say thank you
Include volunteers in informal social events, for example, going out for lunch
Consult volunteers on informal matters, for example, resolving internal issues
Display group photographs around the Office that include volunteers
Give respect and equal status to volunteers on a day to day basis
Spend time supervising volunteers

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Additional Resources

Sample thank you letter to a volunteer.

45 Ways to Recognise Volunteers by Peter Kenyon.


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Getting Started Engaging & Recruiting Screening & Selecting Background Checking Induction Motivation Reward & Recognition Performance Management Evaluating your Volunteer Program Volunteer Resource Centres
Motivation Reward & Recognition Understanding how to make your volunteers feel valued is essential. Some people volunteer short term and accomplish amazing things. Others volunteer for years and contribute a lifetime of assistance. Some people are fuelled by passion, others by need, and sometimes by both. Nevertheless, one thing is clear; with a variety of volunteers you need a variety of methods to show your appreciation. One size definitely does not fit all. An understanding of volunteer motivation and suitable rewards and recognition can ensure that volunteers' experiences are positive and gratifying which may contribute to their retention and willingness to volunteer in the future. top Motivation Looking at the reasons why people volunteer is extremely helpful when recruiting, but motivations are equally important when considering improving volunteer retention. Volunteering is a two-way relationship, volunteers may not be paid, but there is always something that they are seeking from the experience. This is often the hook that gets them into volunteering in the first place. Such motivations can include: To learn new skills To use old skills To address a specific problem in the community To have fun Work experience Feeling useful To make friends It helps to be aware of individual volunteer's motivations. You may choose to directly ask a volunteer during a recruitment interview or wait until you have developed a rapport with the volunteer. Either way it is important that you ask. For example if someone comes into the organisation because they want to feel ownership of a piece of work and they end up doing bits and pieces of everything, they're unlikely to be happy with their volunteer experience. If someone wants to expand social contacts and they are left performing solitary duties they may leave. Furthermore, motivations can change which makes communication with volunteers very important. For example, someone may have started volunteering because they wanted to get out of the house for a couple of afternoons a week, but later on it may be an opportunity for personal development that really keeps them motivated. Talking to volunteers, both informally and as part of supervision meetings allows you to monitor their motivations and if possible shape their role to continue meeting their needs. Proper supervision also assists in monitoring how volunteers are feeling about their work and life more generally. People rarely have the ability to put personal issues aside when at work and if an organisation is unable to meet volunteer's requests for flexibility when their circumstances change they are unlikely to retain the volunteer. top Recognition and Rewards Volunteers should feel that they are an important part of the organisation. They should be involved in decision making and their achievements should be recognised. There are many ways of making volunteers feel involved, welcome and recognised. Different people value different forms of recognition, so here are some suggestions for both formal and informal ways of showing how much you value volunteers, but feel free to invent your own! Formal Volunteer events - 'A Thank You Event' as part of National Volunteers Week or Thank a Volunteer Day Certificates - yearly or after a fixed term Accreditation of courses and skill development training - investing money in your volunteers allows them to feel appreciated and a valued member of your organisation Invite volunteers to meetings and include volunteers in staff meetings Invite volunteers to join working groups, after all never underestimate the level of corporate knowledge that volunteers can hold. Give volunteers supervisory authority, for example an opportunity to mentor new volunteers Informal Say thank you Include volunteers in informal social events, for example, going out for lunch Consult volunteers on informal matters, for example, resolving internal issues Display group photographs around the Office that include volunteers Give respect and equal status to volunteers on a day to day basis Spend time supervising volunteers top Additional Resources Sample thank you letter to a volunteer. 45 Ways to Recognise Volunteers by Peter Kenyon.
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