Charities rarely have enough finances to pay staff and people to work for them. They depend heavily on volunteers to help them with the activities they are engaging in. One of the struggles that volunteer organisations have is attracting and maintaining their volunteers. The first step of making volunteers to stay with a charity organisation is to make them feel appreciated. Some of the ways to appreciate the volunteers are:
Give Gift Vouchers
Charity organisations that do not have a budget to pay salaries and wages should consider getting gift vouchers for either online stores or physical shops. This is a way to keep the volunteers motivated without spending too much money. It can be a voucher to buy unique household items such as the functional and personal gift items at Iittala that are fairly priced yet serve the purpose of showing the volunteers that they matter.
Organise For a Stipend
Charity organisations that have stable donor funding can set up a stipend for volunteers, especially the young volunteers who do not have an alternative form of income. The stipend can be given at the end of the month, or be given any time the volunteers engage in tangible activities that benefit the charity organisation.
Thank You Notes/ Verbal Appreciation
Sometimes, all it takes for someone to feel appreciated is to walk to them and tell them that their input matters. Every human wants to feel appreciated. Charity organisations can come up with a way to appreciate their volunteers through a “volunteer of the week” programme where hard working volunteers are publicly acknowledge. A card, poster on the wall and even being thanked at a meeting is enough to keep volunteers motivated.