Happy Helpers – 4 Great Ways To Reward Volunteers

Posted on Jun 5 2020 - 8:07am by Editorial Staff

Your volunteers are the heart and soul of your cause. They’re the ones that will be there when the music stops, and they’re a massive asset to your brand. It stands to reason, therefore, that even though you’re not offering them monetary compensation, you’re still going to want to thank them for their efforts.

Rewarding volunteers for their hard work ensures that you’ve got happy helpers and it’s also great for your brand’s reputation. Of course, working out how to reward them in a meaningful way isn’t easy, so to make your life a little easier, we’ve created this list of great ways to reward volunteers.

Tokens Of Appreciation

The simplest way to reward your volunteers is to offer them tokens of appreciation. This can be as simple as a certificate if your budget is stretched thin; but if you’ve got the wiggle room for a little extra, promotional products serve as a welcome gift and free brand promotion all in one.

By giving your volunteers something they’ll actually use and enjoy, you’re returning the favor they’ve done for you while also boosting your brand awareness. This can help recruit more volunteers as well as new customers, so it is certainly a worthwhile investment.

Give Them Freebies

Do you offer products or services that could benefit your volunteers? Then you’ve got an inbuilt reward system. Simply present them with a gift voucher for an offering that you think they would enjoy and your appreciation will shine through. Make sure it’s genuinely something that will be of value to your volunteers, otherwise you’re wasting your time, effort, and printing costs.

Throw A Party

If your volunteers are with you for a good time, not a long time, consider throwing a party for them when the event or promotion they’re helping out with ends. This gives them something to look forward to during the time they spend with you and increases the likelihood of them signing up again next time you put the call out for some extra help. Plus, if you allow them to bring plus-ones, you can all network with a larger community and get to know each other better.

Feed Your Crew

This one is super simple but you should never underestimate the power of feeding your crew. Volunteers are giving you their time for free, and knowing that they’re getting something free in return during their time with you makes them feel appreciated. You don’t have to offer anything extravagant – a free lunch or grazing table will suffice – and since people perform better on a full stomach, your brand will benefit as well.

Rewarding your volunteers properly isn’t just a nice thing to do, it’s expected. While the individuals themselves may not necessarily want anything in return, it’s just common courtesy to look after those who look after you. These four rewards systems are easy to implement and brilliant in their simplicity. Not only will they boost your volunteer retention rates, but they will also help you attract new helpers and keep everything moving along smoothly.

This frees you up to focus on the collection of other tasks that no doubt require your attention, and ensures that everyone goes home with a smile on their face. Pick your favorite from the list above and give it a go. There’s no obligation to stick with any certain style, so you’re able to play around with strategies and find what works best for you. We wish you the best of luck with your cause.

About the Author

Editorial Staff at I2Mag is a team of subject experts.