E-kudos: the power of a personal thank you to volunteers
08:25, 2 December 2009
.. Posted in Volunteerism and Volunteer Management.. Link
I don't just talk about volunteering. I volunteer myself, regularly, online and onsite.
Recently, I wrote the first draft of a press release for a nonprofit I support, and a few hours after I sent in the draft, I got this from the Executive Director:
"I'm impressed. You did a great job, very quickly. Of course we tweaked it, but you have given us bones, flesh and blood."
I'm not posting that to brag (yeah for me!). I'm posting it as an example of a simple way of thanking a volunteer. In less than 25 words, she made a volunteer feel amazing. Pins, mugs and posters are, to me, impersonal, something mass produced and handed out to everyone. Sincere words of gratitude, sent in a timely manner and showing, inexplicably, that service was appreciated, sent particularly to me, mean so much more. They cost only thought and care.
Something tells me this is an organization that doesn't have trouble keeping volunteers -- and one I'll be supporting for a while as a volunteer myself.
See more ways to use the Internet to recognize and thank volunteers.
