Celebrating service: a staff guide to recognition strategies
Abstract
Volunteers and service members have a real impact on the people and communities they serve and deserve to be recognized for their efforts. This effective practice highlights tips and tools for creating great recognition events from a handbook developed by the Washington Service Corps, and was shared by Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory’s Recruitment and Development Initiative (EnCorps) in December 2006.Issue
It is extremely important to recognize the efforts of volunteers and service members no matter how big or small. Whether it is a mid-year awards luncheon, or your celebration of service at the end of the year, celebrating your volunteers and members is a great way to show your appreciation for a job well done.Action
According to the Washington Service Corps, take the following steps when considering a service celebration:- Examine your current practices
As you review the ways your program currently recognizes volunteers, ask yourself these questions formulated by Sue Vineyard, in her book, Creative Ways to Recognize Volunteers:
- How do we celebrate our members' accomplishments?
- Do we do the same thing every year?
- Have you noticed that some members really enjoy your award ceremonies and others try to avoid it?
- Take a proactive approach in establishing clear personnel goals
Some of the most effective recognition celebrations are the result of specific activities that build on the foundation of solidly planned and implemented personnel and human relations within your program.
For example, establish the importance of
- Keeping up to date journals and/or yearbooks for each member
- Encouraging members and staff to take plenty of pictures and/or videos
- Completing strong written reflection activities after every service project
- Completing thorough individualized member development plans
- Completing meaningful, thorough and objective member evaluations
- Encouraging honest member feedback throughout the program year
- Holding site sponsor meetings on a regular basis
- Involving the community in all aspects of your project
These factors — not how much money you have (or don't have) to spend — may be the most important to focus on when planning and developing a celebration or awards program that will be appreciated by all.
- Determine size of event
There are advantages and disadvantages to both large and small events. A larger ceremony is an excellent marketing tool, however a smaller ceremony may be more personal in nature. Members at a smaller ceremony may feel more comfortable in communicating their reflection activities — such as sharing intimate stories with the group.
Whichever option you choose, remember that it is extremely important to ensure that your project achieves the maximum impact possible — is desirable to members, beneficial to your organization, and interesting to your constituents, including elected officials and the media.
- Break down the planning into small parts
- Time and Place
The event could be held where members collaborated on a successful service project or a fun geographical location such as a lake or park. - Member Recognition Needs
Supervisors or directors should ideally develop awards that are tailored to the member's specific needs. - Size of Audience
Identify your target audience, which is made up of everyone who was associated with your program throughout the service year. You might also use this opportunity to market your program to a wider audience such as elected officials, school superintendents, city or county officials, state commission members and so on. - Message to the Group
Use this time to remind your audience and members about the importance of your project to the community. Keep this in mind as you develop spoken and written text for the event. - Reflections About the Service Year
The most effective closing activities are those that can relate or portray a sense of accomplishment over the program year. Use the event to thoroughly spell out positive influences and project-wide changes, no matter how big or small, that each member has made. In addition, discuss member plans for the future.
- Time and Place
- Use motivational theory concepts to award members appropriately
- Those who seek praise are volunteers who:
- Enjoy recognition for their talents and accomplishments
- Like being thanked, given gifts, and singled out for achievement
- Find situations where there is little feedback frustrating
- Enjoy a volunteer program where others readily see the results of their efforts
- Rewards for volunteers motivated by praise might include:
- Small gifts
- A recognition spot on your website or newsletter
- A reference letter
- Personal notes
- Unexpected gifts
- Employee of the month plaque
- Those who enjoy affiliation are volunteers who:
- Enjoy being part of an organization, club or team
- Enjoy opportunities to get together with others with similar beliefs, backgrounds, goals, and being associated with a well-known cause or group
- Don't find working alone or for an obscure organization very satisfying
- Rewards for volunteers motivated by affiliation might include:
- Social gatherings where they can be acknowledged
- Organization t-shirts
- Name badges
- Opportunities to work with a variety of people
- Those who seek accomplishment are volunteers who:
- Enjoy seeing concrete evidence of their work
- Like practical, tangible projects
- Don't like working on projects where abstract goals are pursued or achievements are hard-won
- Rewards for volunteers motivated by accomplishment might include:
- Certificates of accomplishment
- Continuing education or education credits
- Job assignments that offer increased responsibilities
- Opportunities for advancement
- Regular and honest evaluations
- Volunteers interested in power and influence:
- Like persuading people to see or do things their way, or enjoy showing people a better, easier, way of accomplishing an objective
- Don't want to be in an insignificant position, but like positions where they help make decisions or train people
- Rewards for volunteers motivated by power and influence might include:
- Titles or rank insignia
- A special parking spot for a designated period of time
- Involvement as a speaker at organization workshops
- Job assignments that enable them to interact with those in higher authority
- Opportunities to negotiate
- Opportunities to work with the media
Based on information provided by basic motivational theory, people volunteer to serve for a variety of reasons. If you are able to learn these underlying motivators, you should be able to award members more appropriately.
According to Nan Hawthorne of Sound Volunteer Management in Seattle, Washington, there are four typical motivators for volunteers. These include praise, affiliation, accomplishment, power and influence.
- Those who seek praise are volunteers who:
- Consult OMB circular A-122 to determine what kinds of food and beverages are allowable at this type of ceremony
In general, look for creative ideas that do not require large amounts of money. Better yet, encourage the use of in-kind donations where possible.
Context
This staff guide for putting together an end-of-the-year service celebration was created by the Washington Service Corps (WSC) in Olympia, WA. WSC AmeriCorps members perform service that has direct and demonstrable impact in the areas of education, the environment, human services, homeland security, and public safety.Citation
From EnCorps materials at http://encorps.nationalserviceresources.org/resources/recognizing_service/celebrating_service.php.
From the article, "Matching the 'Thank You' to the Volunteer," in Canadian Fundraiser, June 30, 1998. Found on the CharityVillage web site at www.charityvillage.com.
Outcome
Recognition events that are meaningful for your volunteers and members will leave them feeling enthusiastic and appreciated.Posted On
June 22, 2007For More Information
Resources
EnCorps resources carry a field "stamp of approval." Veteran program staff reviewed and recommended these resources for working with AmeriCorps and VISTA members.
From EnCorps materials at http://encorps.nationalserviceresources.org/resources/recognizing_service/celebrating_service.php.
From the article, "Matching the 'Thank You' to the Volunteer," in Canadian Fundraiser, June 30, 1998. Found on the CharityVillage web site at www.charityvillage.com.
From The Resource Center library:
Beyond Banquets, Plaques & Pins: Creative Ways to Recognize Volunteers
Library Item Number: R0886