Recognition is vital!

"Recognition" means anything you do to recognize someone's efforts to do a great job.  It can be a gift, a public ceremony, or just a warm smile and a "Thank you!"

We have found that recognition is a VITAL FLUID for every volunteer's engine.  For some it might be like gasoline, the fuel that keeps them going.  If they run out, they may coast for a while and then stop moving, but if you fill them back up, they'll be back on the road and running for you again.  

For others, it might be like the oil, something that you don't have to think about very often, but if they go too long, they might seize up, and you'll need a new engine to get them going again.  

For still others, it could be coolant, something that you rarely have to refill, but without it, you might have a total meltdown.  And with others, it could be the brake fluid, the difference between going forward and going out of control!

Be sure that you get to know the volunteers you work with and how to recognize their efforts to keep them moving forward.  "Great job!!" and a smile can be a good way to start!

Four Steps you can take now to improve volunteer motivation: Define it: Communicate clear volunteer expectations Budget: Prepare to purchase recognition materials  Spend it: Buy appropriate recognition  Prove it: Present recognition in the earliest appropriate setting

Why do we Volunteer?

Volunteering is as much a part of the human spirit as a smile. 

It is paid with the currency of gratitude and self-satisfaction. It's where a job well-done truly is its own reward.

People choose to volunteer for a great variety of reasons; your reasons don't have to be purely altruistic.  Susan J. Ellis of Energize, Inc., shows why it's beneficial to think of it more as an exchange.  Most of us have times in our lives when we could really use a hand, so volunteering can be a way to either pay it back or pay it forward.

We can also be motivated by a desire to leave the world a better place than we found it or, at least, to help maintain something that we believe is valuable.  And Helpguide.org says that volunteering is actually good for you!

Our hope is that "Voluntastic!" will help you to have fantastic outcomes with volunteering!