How should I spend $3000? Need to thank 1000 volunteers

November 18, 2013 3:56 AM

I work for a fledgling non-profit. We have 1000 volunteers spread throughout the state but most people are in the capital. We hold a barbecue once a year and inevitably, it's here in the city. Most of our social events, meetings etc are here in the city. Now we're coming up to the end of the year, I really want t thank everyone for their hard work. The thing we're doing is socially, historically and politically significant. It's an uphill battle for many because we're breaking long and tightly held tradition and often its the people outside of the big city who deal with the most resistance (therefore, do the hardest work and with least support). 1. What are some good things you've done or seen to thank volunteers in general? 2. What can I do to include those who are out of the city? I have $3000 to spend.
posted by stellathon to Work & Money (6 answers total)

Just saw this article, which you might find of interest.

Could you print a modest thank-you card that your board - or the beneficiaries of the volunteer work - could sign with a brief personal message?
posted by Sweetie Darling at 4:57 AM on November 18, 2013

If it is socially and historically significant, can you do something publicly that will get recognition outside of your non-profit? Spend that $3k on a public awareness campaign? Publicly thank them? Commission an artist to make two pieces of work representing what you have accomplished and put them on display in and out of the city? I suggest this only because $3k over 1,000 people isn't much, and it helps them more to have worked on something that can help their resume (than a small gift of $30 or less). If they can say "remember such-and-such? I worked on that!" it helps them out and is a point of pride. Then send them a small card with a picture of the item on it with a personal thank you.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 5:14 AM on November 18, 2013 [2 favorites]

Another thought would be to arrange a small get together where the volunteers get to talk with people whom their work has benefited. I don't know the nature of your non-profit, so it is hard for me to envision exactly, but a no-frills party including the families who are impacted by your work is sort of what I have in mind. Nothing makes a volunteer happier than to see that they really made a difference in people's lives, not just an abstract "make a difference." You could make it every [Thursday] for a month, in different locations, so different families and volunteers could attend.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 6:43 AM on November 18, 2013

As someone who does a lot of volunteer work for a non-profit, I don't want them to spend their hard earned donations on me. But a personal note means a lot. How you do that with 1000 people I don't know!
posted by cecic at 8:07 AM on November 18, 2013 [4 favorites]

I volunteered at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, and when I take my kids to Homebush, we go and find my name on the volunteer poles. They get a buzz out of it, I get to re-tell all my Olympics stories, and I'm re-filled with the warm and fuzzy memories of the ticker tape parade held in the CBD to thank the volunteers. It's also nice to think that my name will be there for a long time to come.

I really like the idea of commissioning an artwork (maybe through a local art class or disaffected-youth-program or something like that). How about something including all the names, and then emailing a photo of their name (and maybe a shot of the entire artwork) to each volunteer with a note of sincere thanks. That way, even those far away can frame it or stick it on their fridge, and get that same warm'n'fuzzy feeling I get when I see some frankly-boring-looking poles.
posted by malibustacey9999 at 6:00 PM on November 18, 2013

Thank you cards handwritten by a much smaller group of volunteers who are thanked with pizza :-) Spend time putting together a thoughtful brief note on the value of what they've done, and that you and all the beneficiaries are thankful such great people like them are out there. If you can slice & dice your list into specific groups by what they did (e.g. thanks for your help on the walk in September...) that would be even better.

Logistically, print plain photocards with a single great image, the kind of snapshot that would look good on a fridge, with your nonprofit's web address on the reverse, and then get plain or coloured envelopes, and buy a bunch of pens.

Print out the prepared message and a list of the names and addresses by each group, with a nice red pen on each clipboard to mark who has been written to, and buy a bunch of pretty stamps and some gluesticks.

Then get shifts of volunteers to do the letters and addresses (handwritten addresses and return addresses (with your nonprofit's url) on envelopes are a big improvement over pre-printed labels) in batches. I can handwrite about 30 cards before my hand cramps, so you need a group of ten volunteers willing to come in for three evenings/afternoons, well-supplied with coffee and cake etc.

If you can get a recognisable person in your organisation to sign off, that's great, but you can simply end with something like "thank you so much! Jenny, MyOrgName" with the card volunteers signing off themselves.

You will end up with a thousand thoughtful handwritten personal cards under your budget, and the volunteers who get them will be much more likely to support your organisation. It's not glitzy, but it's effective.

Do not include fundraising or newsletter stuff in this mailing. It should be a personal note, not an organisational outreach.
posted by viggorlijah at 7:56 PM on November 18, 2013