Category: Volunteer

Volunteers are the heart and soul of every nonprofit. Through their selfless contributions, your organization is able to support and empower your community. Make sure they’re aware of how appreciated and valued they are! To help with this, Keep Doing Good has compiled a few ways to do just that.

Celebrate Your Volunteers

Throw a Party

Because everyone loves parties! Surprise your volunteers with a party to show how much you appreciate them. Maybe take them out to a trendy new restaurant or bowling alley! And if your organization is dedicated to animal rescue or something similar, try a petting zoo or cat cafe!

Award Your Volunteers

Your volunteers are selfless and devoted, willing to sacrifice their time and resources for your cause, and dedicated to bettering their community however they can. They do all this without expecting anything in return, but recognizing the incredible work they do with a small gift is a great way to make sure they know how valuable and appreciated they are.

If you have the means to personalize your gifts (more doable for smaller organizations), doing so is encouraged! For larger organizations, try tracking how long your longest-tenured and most dedicated volunteers have been there and award the ones that have been there for 5, 10, or 15 years with plaques and small celebrations!

Handmade Cards

Tokens of appreciation don’t have to be elaborate or expensive! Sometimes, the simplest gestures are the ones that mean the most. A handwritten card, signed by the employees of the office, is a special and personalized way to show a volunteer how much they mean to your organization. All it takes is a few minutes of your time to show a little extra appreciation.

Involve Your Local Community

Volunteers aren’t just helping you with your organization–they’re serving your entire community. Asking local businesses or organizations that you’ve assisted to write letters of appreciation to your volunteers is an excellent way to recognize them both privately and publicly (hang them on the wall of your office with pride!)

And if you work with schools or local education programs, ask their teachers and coordinators if they’re willing to send in hand-drawn pictures or letters from students! The students can practice their art skills, and the volunteers will love to hear from the most important members of the community.

Organization-Themed Gifts

One of the best things about a nonprofit is the passion it inspires amongst its community, and that’s especially true for the volunteers that make up the heart and soul of your organization. If someone volunteers with you, it means they truly cherish the time they spend with your organization and are passionate about the work you do.

Here are a few organization-specific ideas to reward that passion and dedication:

• Libraries: Books, bookmarks, and bookstore/café gift cards are all great ways to reward your library volunteers!
• Schools:Offer your volunteers a chance to be students for the night! Bring in a professional to teach them a fun hobby like painting or woodworking, or offer them an opportunity to gain new work skills with programming or graphic design presentations.
• Food Banks: Like schools, you can treat your volunteers to a private lesson from a professional chef–complete with tastings and lessons on what to pair with! And if you’re looking for something a bit easier to wrap, recipe books, homemade treats, and personalized aprons are all wonderful options.
• Animal Rescues:Reward those that care so much about our furry friends with discounted adoption rates, dog and cat treats, and stuffed animals or key chains!

T-Shirts

Let’s face it–you can never have enough t-shirts. Your volunteers will love showing off their team colors with shirts featuring your organization’s logo! And for the extra personalized touch, you can make shirts commemorating milestones or big events!

Tickets to Local Events

Do you have a local sports team or community theater? How about a museum featuring an exhibition of particular interest to your volunteers? See if your organization can get a group deal on tickets and invite your team out for a fun night on the house!

Invest Back in Your Volunteers

Showing appreciation shouldn’t be a one-time event: keep the spirit of appreciation strong throughout the year, and make sure your volunteers know the work they do is seen. After all, the best way to retain volunteers is to respect volunteers.

On that note, here are a few ways you can show your volunteers that you and your organization are invested in them:

• Communicate:Nobody likes being left in the dark, especially if it ends up making them feel less important or meaningful to your organization. Keep your volunteers up-to-date on new opportunities, upcoming events, and other relevant information.
• Listen: Your volunteers are going to see things that you miss–there’s no way around this. Listen to their concerns, questions, and suggestions. An organization that’s willing to hear out and act on suggestions will never be short on volunteers.
• Offer Leadership Opportunities: Your organization is going to mean a lot to the people who give up their time and energy to further its mission. Reward volunteers who have invested significant time into your nonprofit by allowing them to develop new skills that could lead to leadership positions.

If your organization is struggling to find volunteers, try bringing current volunteers to community events, and have them talk about their experience volunteering.

They may not do it for the praise or recognition, but acknowledging the effort your volunteers put into making their community a better place is the best way to keep everyone within the organization happy and invested.

The World Needs More Volunteers – Here’s Why Should Answer the Call

Volunteers are the most integral part of any nonprofit organization, and by extension, one of the most important parts of any community. Their commitment to bettering the lives of those around them is a source of comfort and strength, and a reminder of the good we can accomplish together.

Recent reports suggest that one in four Americans volunteers their time for some sort of nonprofit. When considering the amount of good that’s already able to be done with the current amount of volunteers and resources, it’s hard to not also consider how much more could be done with additional dedicated, talented, and passionate volunteers. If that sounds like you, then read on for more reasons on why you should volunteer.

You’ll Get the Chance to Work for a Cause You’re Passionate About.

Nonprofits, in general, exist to serve a specific cause. These causes can include things like fighting disease, hunger, poverty, and discrimination or they can be public services like volunteer fire and EMS organizations. For many volunteers, the organization they choose to give their time to is one devoted to something they’ve personally experienced or been touched by. For others, improving the general welfare of their community is what they care about most. Whatever your reason, volunteering is an excellent way to put your passion to use, make a difference in your community, and work towards a better future.

Meet Like-Minded People.

If you’re looking to meet others with similar interests to yours, volunteering at a local nonprofit organization is a great way to do so. You’ll get the opportunity to make friends with people invested in the same cause as you, and also increase your professional network at the same time.

It Looks Great on Your Resume

Whether you’re a college student looking for relevant experience, a young professional trying to break into an industry, or just looking to beef up your resume, there’s a huge professional advantage for volunteers. Volunteer experience shows prospective employers that you are dedicated and hard-working, and the fact that you’ve done meaningful work in your free time reflects well on your character. And for those interested in leadership or project management roles, working with a nonprofit is great practice.

It’s Good for You.

People who do good feel good–and there’s no better way to boost your self-esteem than serving your community through volunteering. Recent studies have shown that 77% of those who volunteer report feeling better about their mental health after volunteering activities. After all, nothing is more satisfying than helping those who need it.

Additionally, volunteering is a great way to introduce physical activity into your day. It gives you the chance to get up, get out, and get active. And if you get the chance, you can volunteer or participate in events like 5ks and fun-runs.

You’ll Make a Difference in Your Community–and the World.

Volunteering brings out the best in us. There are few acts as selfless, kind, or meaningful as devoting time and energy towards making a difference in your community. Nonprofits play an essential role in this difference by ensuring everyone in your community has access to food, clothing, shelter, education, and more–and they need your help. Give yourself the opportunity to say you made a difference, and research organizations near you to look for opportunities. Whatever your reason for volunteering is, there’s always a reason to Keep Doing Good.

The birds are chirping, the sun is shining, and the days are long–there’s a reason summer is such a great time of the year. And thanks to the beautiful weather and outdoor activities that summer brings, it’s a great time to raise funds for your nonprofit. Keep Doing Good has compiled a few fundraising ideas to help you get the season started with some big contributions!

5k Races, Fun Runs, or Walk-a-Thons

After being cooped up all winter and spring, there’s nothing better than getting out into the summertime sunshine! Not only can you take advantage of the warm weather to get some much needed fresh air, but the good vibes mean that it’s also a great time to embrace the giving spirit with some outdoor fundraisers.

5ks, Fun Runs, and Walk-a-Thons are all great ways to get the community out for a race! Races can be held all year, but you can expect a higher turnout for an event in the lovely summertime weather after a long, cold Winter!

The high turnout and community-based nature of these events make them very profitable! You can offer a variety of snacks and merchandise to supporters/spectators, and rewards to race winners and those who raise the most money. These events are also great for peer-to-peer fundraising, where participants raise money from their own personal network of peers.

You can put a fun twist on any race or run by turning them into color runs, glow runs, relay races, or by slapping a fun theme onto them!

Outdoor Community Nights

Not exactly in the racing spirit? There are a number of other outdoor activities you can put on for your community! Recreational sports leagues or baseball tournaments are a great way to get the community active and involved, as are local fairs! You can invite local restaurants and businesses to these events and allow them to provide games, snacks, drinks, and more–meaning you have a variety of ways to raise money and provide your community with a fun night out!

Consignment Sales

While “Summer Cleaning” may not have quite the same ring to it as “Spring Cleaning”, the truth is that a lot of those boxes and bags that get filled during spring cleaning are still in the garage when summer rolls around–so why not take advantage of this and plan a community consignment sale? Shoes, books, toys, and other similar items can make a huge difference when they are donated and repurposed instead of thrown away. On top of being a great way to raise money for your nonprofit, you can feel good about helping the planet and your local community by reducing trash in landfills.

Car Washes

It’s a cliche for a reason–nothing says “summer” quite like a car wash! The sunshine and hot weather are the perfect conditions for it, and you can recruit volunteers to clean and dry cars for cheap! Throw on some music and provide cold beverages to your volunteers and customers for a fun summertime fundraiser.

Cookouts

While there’s no shortage of speakers blaring tunes once the sun comes out, the REAL soundtrack of the season is the sizzle you hear from all the cook-outs and barbecues held during the summer. Summertime is perfect for hot dogs and hamburgers on the grill, barbecues, chili cook-offs, and even low-country boils! There’s no shortage of food and drink you can serve during a cook-off or community cookout, and patrons will be happy to support a local cause while filling their bellies!

In keeping with the food theme, why not go one step further and accept canned/boxed food (along with hygiene products) as part of a food drive? These events are wonderful ways to provide within your community, and show your supporters that you are dedicated to giving back with the help they provide.

The summer offers no shortage of great ways to get out and get involved! These 5 ideas are just a few of the ways you can raise funds for your organization AND provide your community with sun, fun, and the opportunity to make a difference. Now, get out there and get fundraising!