Budget Minded Custom Gifts for Volunteers

For most of us, the budget is a huge consideration when wanting to give thank you gifts to volunteers. Yes, they deserve gold automobiles for what they do for us, but who can afford that? Just because you can't give big expensive gifts doesn't mean you still can give very special gifts to your volunteers.

I love to give personal gifts, ones that have each volunteers' name on it. Often times along with our organization name or logo. When I can, I like to thank them for something special, like a year of service or extra help with a fund-raiser. I can do that with special custom gifts such as thank you candy tins, or thank you treasure boxes.

These aren't expensive, but they are lasting gifts that can be easily customized. Since you can order only one at time, if you wish, you can make them personal for the volunteer. Custom candy tins are the least expensive and come filled with your choice of several kinds of candy. The tins are reusable, so your volunteers have a lasting reminder of your appreciation.

For a larger gift, but still not too expensive, thank you treasure boxes are ideal. Everyone can appreciate a little extra place to put those special keepsakes and to have a box that says thanks for your effort and time with our organization or group is a great idea.

No matter what our budget allows, there are custom gifts we can give our volunteers. Thank you candy tins and appreciation treasure boxes are just a few of the great ideas.

Time to Celebrate Halloween With Your Volunteers

With Fall comes not only back to school, but also thoughts of Halloween. Celebrating Halloween with your volunteers can be lots of fun, if you follow a few suggestions.

Are costumes workable for their volunteer time? Since my volunteers mostly work with animals, costumes are a bit much. Not only for the work that they do, but also for the animals themselves. They would get a bit freaked by changes like that. So costumes don't work in my organization.

But, little extras like Halloween earrings or t-shirts are just fine. And this I encourage to help the volunteers have fun on Halloween. It's something you need to make a decision about and let your volunteers know ahead of time.

Will you celebrate a little trick or treat time? Most of my volunteers are outside a great chunk of their time, but I encourage them to come inside, enjoy some coffee and snacks. For Halloween, I like to have decorated cookies, small packaged candy and plenty of candy corn available for everyone.

Consider your volunteer schedule. It may be best to celebrate Halloween with your volunteers for the whole week. That way all, or most, of your volunteers will be able to participate and enjoy the little extras for Halloween. Not just those that volunteer on October 31st.

When you keep these considerations in mind, you can plan out a fun Halloween celebration with your volunteers and all will be happy for it.

Simple Ways You Can Thank Your Volunteers

Every day we benefit from our volunteers. That means we should always be thinking of ways to say thank you. Never should we forget to just say the words. But, we always want to offer just a little more when it comes to our volunteers.

This doesn't mean planning a huge party and spending lots of money, that your organization probably doesn't have, every day. In fact, this is more about just the little things that can make a big difference.

Bringing cookies or candies in to work to offer to volunteers. Maybe it's just a tent sign that you set up by the volunteer sign-up book that says some kind of thank you. A notice of which volunteers are celebrating a birthday or anniversary each day.

This don't need to be big things, or even things that cost any thing more than some of your time. These are things to just show your volunteers that are worthy of you remembering the give their time, with no pay.

Most give their time, because they want to, and not to get something in return. But, giving them something as simple as a show of appreciation is worth your time and effort. Remember, without them, where would your organization be?

Volunteer Hours of Service Milestones

Are hours of service ways that you track volunteer time? Then you definitely need to be appreciating those milestones. Even the small milestones are worth something to thank your volunteers.

For many organizations, hours of service is the important factor. For many volunteers, those hours are a big part of their lives. Recognizing them makes great sense.

Start off small. Encouraging new volunteers with simple expressions of appreciation for small achievements, like the first 5 hours completed, can make a huge difference. We all want to be appreciated for what we do, even if it's just a few hours.

Simple things like a thank you card, a refrigerator magnet, or a day of cookies for the volunteers in honor of the milestone is just plain common sense for encouraging more hours of service. At the least, a printed out certificate for the volunteer makes a difference.

For volunteers who have crossed larger milestones, like 100 hours, 250 hours, whatever makes sense for your dedicated volunteers, a gift is in order. Again, these don't need to cost you too much, but that kind of thank you is so appreciated by your workers.

These people put in the hours of service because they believe in your organization. Reward and thank them for what they give.