An important way to encourage your volunteers to remain with your club is to give them adequate recognition. To be effective, recognition should be consistent and ongoing. Volunteers can quickly lose motivation if they feel their work is not valued.
It is important that recognition is given to the volunteer soon after the work is performed, is personal and specific, is consistent, is positive and upbeat, and does not favour certain volunteers.

Recognising volunteers

• Adequately orientate volunteers (see the ‘Orientation and training of volunteers’ fact sheet for more information)
• Ensure volunteer coordinators are readily accessible
• Encourage volunteer participation in planning that affects their work
• Provide training (see the ‘Orientation and training of volunteers’ fact sheet for more information)
• Give additional responsibility (where appropriate)
• Enable volunteers to ‘grow on the job’
• Include volunteers in special events
• Recommend volunteers to prospective employers
• Maintain occupational health and safety standards
• Take time to listen to volunteers’ ideas and concerns
• Recognise and accommodate personal needs and problems
• Celebrate achievements and effort
• Keep volunteers informed via a newsletter
• Provide letters of reference
• Allocate noticeboard space to acknowledge volunteer achievement
• Organise awards with certificates, plaques or medals
• Offer personal praise to volunteers
• Write letters and postcards of thanks
• Acknowledge volunteers in club newsletters
• Present volunteer awards at presentation nights or annual general meetings
• Provide complimentary tickets to special events and functions
• Arrange discounts with businesses or sponsors for volunteers
• Reimburse out-of-pocket expenses
• Farewell people when they move out of the area
• Present awards for years of service