What to Give a Volunteer

From 3arf

Volunteers give up so much of their free time, giving to others. What better way to say "Thank You", than to give them a gift or token of appreciation?

It doesn't have to be an expensive gift, as volunteers often aren't expecting recognition or monetary return for their assistance. After all, volunteering is defined as offering a service for no pay.

In this day and age, so many organizations often rely heavily on the volunteer service of others, to keep their organizations running smoothly, as well as helping to keep their own costs down to a minimum. However, with busy schedules to contend with, very few people actually have the time (or inclination) to volunteer. It only seems fitting to offer those who do volunteer, a little something in lieu of pay, showing appreciation for the generous offer of their time and efforts.

Some gift ideas for your volunteers might be:

- Local restaurant gift certificates. Every restaurant, even the fast food chains, offer gift certificates. This is a nice and simple way to offer your volunteer(s) a complimentary, free meal for their kindness and assistance.

- Gift baskets are always a wonderful and popular way to show one's appreciation. There are so many ideas for gift baskets, with varying sizes and price ranges, according to what you or your organization can afford. Some inexpensive gift basket ideas are bath items, jams and jellies, cookies or gourmet tea packages, for example. Any one of these ideas is sure to be appreciated.

- Gift certificate for an in-home massage. What better way to say "Thank You" than a gift of a free, in-home massage. After long, hard hours of effort, that your volunteer has put into your organization, fund raiser or what have you, the gift of a massage gives them a nice way to just relax at the end of it all.

- Hold a barbecue for your volunteers. This is a wonderful, yet very inexpensive way to offer a big "Thank you" to all your volunteers, especially if there are several. Even a barbecue of hot dogs and/or hamburgers will be much appreciated and won't cost a lot. It's also a nice way for all the volunteers to congregate after an event.

- A bouquet of flowers is always a great way to offer appreciation and acknowledgement. Again, this does not have to be costly, but goes a long way in saying "Thank You". Many floral shops offer very economical arrangements of flowers. It can be something as simple as a bouquet of daisies or carnations.

- Movie ticket(s) can also say "Thank You for a job well done".

- When all else fails, and you just can't think of an appropriate gift to give, why not give a department store gift certificate. In this way, your volunteer can pick out something nice for themselves. Stores offer gift certificates in varying denominations, so you are able to give one that suits you or your organization's budget.

Some simpler and less costly ideas, for the organizations that have little money to spend, yet offering "something" just seems appropriate for your hard working volunteer(s):

- A box of chocolates is an excellent idea if your funds are very limited. Everyone enjoys receiving a nice, delectable box of chocolates.

- Card of thanks. Even something as simple as a well thought out, well written "Thank You" card can express your gratitude for the time and energy your volunteers have put into making your organization a success. By offering even a simple acknowledgement of their time, shows your volunteers that their gift of giving so freely hasn't gone unnoticed.

Volunteers don't generally expect to get much more than a verbal "Thank You" once the event or job has ended, however, it's just a nice gesture to show one's gratitude. This might also help to ensure that this person will make themselves available to you at yet another time, if the need arises.

Related Articles

Retrieved from "https://3arf.org/en/index.php?title=What_to_Give_a_Volunteer&oldid=32190"