Here's how you can effectively recognize and appreciate volunteers.

AI, digitally generated text, and narratives have revolutionized our daily lives, saving time and increasing efficiency by expediting work that would normally take hours or more to complete. But its not human, and it has entered the space of professionals who rely on the generosity of volunteers. How? When it comes time to thanking them. This is why I implore anyone who works with or manages volunteers to ignore the temptation of sending a text, email, or AI assisted message as your sole method of thanking these individuals, the closest friends of your organization. It's OK to send a quick gratitude text right after a big event, but follow up with a personalized handwritten thank you note, mailed, ASAP. It's personal, touching, and human.

Fairly simple... Ask volunteers to submit a report at the end of assignment asking them to describe what their contribution was and why they are happy about it. Other question to ask would be... what could we do to help you contribute more efficiently...

Having spent 30 years working with volunteers, I have a deep affinity and respect for these superstars and consider their involvement at any level in support of an organization a gift of altruism and unselfish support. That's not to say I have not run into people over the years with mainly selfish motives for volunteering (I'm usually able to discreetly identify those individuals early), but gratefully they have been sparse. I concur with everything listed here as ways of recognizing volunteers for their work, and have implemented many over the years. However, I have found what resonates best with volunteers if you want to recognize them or show your appreciation, is ask them what they want that to look like, and simply do it.

I proudly attribute any success I personally experienced, as well as that of my employer and the collective programs/services built throughout my tenure, to the hard work, dedication, and legacy of our collective volunteers. We fostered a can-do philosophy of rolling up our sleeves, standing beside one another for years: from formal board leadership meetings to mobilizing last-minute triage teams to fix unforseen threats to derail a special event or fundraiser. With all this being said, it was my custom to regularly set aside individual "coffee" time with my volunteers, to listen and hear them, elicit their feedback, dialogue about everything and anything they wanted to discuss, and make sure they knew how much I valued their friendship.

Feedback and Involvement Solicit Feedback: Regularly ask for and act on volunteer feedback to show that their opinions matter. Involve in Decision-Making: Include volunteers in planning and decision-making processes to recognize their value to the organization.

Have page, profiling, recognizing the volunteers and their work on your website including articles, videos, interviews and pictures. Let them build profiles for themselves or with assistance if they wish. Let the admin now review and approve them for the website. Let this. profile development platform be so agile that it brings out the creativity and the distinctness of every volunteer as much as possible.