The Real Lives of Volunteer Coordinators
A Blog for us to Learn from Each Other
Written by Kasey Murphy Volunteer Coordinator Resource Community Weekly Recap 10/19 - 10/26
Volunteer appreciation is a large part of being a Volunteer Manager or Coordinator. Showing that you appreciate your volunteers is a great way to keep them around and allow them to feel more comfortable being involved in the volunteer program!
That being said, there are usually certain occasions where Volunteer Coordinators and Manager schedule to really show their volunteers appreciation. This could be around the holiday season, on a designated Volunteer Appreciation Week, or the anniversary of the volunteer or the volunteer program.
This week, a member of the Volunteer Coordinator Resource Community reached out about planning an End of The Year Volunteer Appreciation event and festivities. This is such a great idea! Planning volunteer appreciation at the end of a year, especially a year like 2020, will put a positive impact on your volunteers, and your volunteer program for 2021.
Comments About Volunteer Appreciation End of Year Celebrations
“A few things we're doing, shaped by COVID-19 -- handing out hand sanitizer, sending cards to volunteers who haven't felt comfortable returning yet, and doing a virtual spirit week. We're also sending out our first e-newsletter to replace the printed one, announcing awards, and having a volunteer costume contest. No "events", no special food or appreciation lunches, etc.”
“Last year we sent magnets and the year before, water bottles.”
“We used Kudoboard for the first time in April and everyone raved over it!”
Ideas for Volunteer Spirit Week (Virtual) include: “Share how you are staying motivated and positive during the pandemic, share how being a volunteer has impacted you, share a pic of your work from home “colleagues”, share who/ what you are thankful for, share about a friendship you’ve made here.”
We think it would be a great idea to have volunteers email their favorite memories from volunteering this past year- then, make a slideshow with photos and stories for everyone to reminisce about!
You could also do a volunteer appreciation spirit week where you have people dress up each day as something fun and different for jokes and laughs! Then, do a costume contest and the winner wins a gift card!
We also thought it would be great to have people from the community send video or letter messages about how much they appreciate the volunteer program, put these in a slideshow/video as well!
If you have more ideas for Volunteer Appreciation End of The Year events or celebrations, comment them here!
Resources For Volunteer Appreciation End of Year Celebrations
Different Ways to Show Volunteer Appreciation During The Pandemic
Volunteer Incentive and Engagement Ideas That Won’t Cost Your Organization A Dime
We’ve talked about CVA exams before, in August. For a refresh, a CVA exam is the certification of making yourself a Certified Volunteer Administrator. It is a great opportunity to advance your resume and qualification as a Volunteer Coordinator.
The CVA exam can be a bit of a challenge, but there are so many different resources available to help increase your chances of passing the exam and being just one more step greater at your job!
This week, we had a wonderful Volunteer Coordinator that posted about a virtual info session and to learn more about the CVA exam and what you can do to prepare!
If you would like to reserve your spot or ask questions, here is the link!
Comments and Resources about the CVA Exam and Info Session
In order to qualify for the CVA exam, you have to acquire a number of points. “There are a few other ways to get the 15 points needed in the education section of the application. For specific questions please reach out to execdir@cvacert.org.”
Have you ever considered having an intern to help with your Volunteer Coordinator or Volunteer Program? Providing an intern could be a great opportunity to help you introduce an individual to the world of Volunteer Coordinating, gain a new perspective from an outsider, and receive help for a lesser price.
It is up to you if your organization how you will incentivize the intern, there are plenty of unpaid internships that people are willing to take on, but you could also offer a stipend or a certification. If the individual is in college or university, sometimes they will receive college credit for the internship!
A volunteer coordinator was interested in those who have had interns in their volunteer program this week.
If you have had internships in your volunteer program, let us know your experience here!
Comments About Volunteer Program Interns
“We had an intern two summers ago - she worked on modernizing/updating our service descriptions, volunteer manual, policy and procedures, and orientation guide.”
“I have had a few interns for a semester. They interview volunteers and write profiles and other articles for the volunteer newsletter, assist with volunteer appreciation events. One helped us design a new process.”
We think providing an internship would be an absolute benefit. It might take some time to figure out their roles & responsibilities, but it would be helpful to the community and your program!