We focus on volunteer appreciation all year long in a few different ways...
*Each committee chair is given some pens that we ordered from Positive Promotions and a packet of Thank You cards that they are expected to give to the parents who volunteer to help with the event they are in charge of.
*At our monthly meetings our Volunteer Coordinator gives a card and a small gift (a box of chocolates, or a mug with some coffee in it, etc.) to any committee chairs whose events have wrapped up since the last meeting, along with publicly talking about what a great job they did and why they are appreciated.
*We recognize all volunteers who have signed in on the computer or whose names we are given by staff and/or committee chairs in a special section of our newsletter each month.
*At the end of the year we hold some sort of Volunteer Appreciation function (Last year was a spaghetti dinner. This year is a Death by Chocolate night.) for ALL of our volunteers (the parents who volunteered for PTA activities and the parents who do all of their volunteering strictly in the classroom). The staff provides part of the food depending on the theme, as well as some small items to be given away in a raffle, and the PTA does all of the donation requesting, and provides childcare (since it's an "adults only" event), the rest of the food, and a few prizes of our own, and books any entertainment or guest speakers we decide to have.
*For our board members, the Nominating and Tellers Committees handle putting together some sort of gift for departing board members (Usually something like
this
), and they put together a survival kit and an installation ceremony for the new board members.
I realize that this sounds like a lot, but it doesn't have to be super expensive. We budget $250 for the awards for outgoing officers and the kits for new board members (which are a mixture of "cute" stuff like stress balls, back massagers, a picture frame, Hershey's Hugs and Kisses, etc., and more practical things like name tags, a T-shirt to wear at all functions and events, office supplies, etc.). Our budget for Volunteer Appreciation is about $1000, which allows us to appreciate nearly 200 parents. We consider it a small price to pay if it means that our parents are always ready and willing to step up and contribute because they know that their efforts are appreciated. We rarely have problems finding volunteers, and there were MAJOR difficulties before we enacted this system.
It's true that most people don't volunteer at the school for rewards or accolades. But there's a difference between expecting some sort of big award and simply wanting some sort of acknowledgment that your efforts have been noticed and are appreciated. When we left volunteer appreciation up to the staff while providing no funding or framework for them to follow, our volunteers quickly became burned out and dropped off of the radar. Appreciation can be exactly what they need to keep them energized and willing to jump in and help. If we provide the event and the acknowledgment throughout the year so that the staff only has to come up with a food item or a raffle prize in June instead of planning an event and coming up with the money to pay for it on their own, they are more than happy to contribute.
Think of it this way: None of us expect a trophy for being parents, but it sure is nice to get a card from our kids on Mother's or Father's Day. It makes us feel good to know that our efforts are noticed at least once a year, even if we wouldn't do anything differently without that acknowledgment.
