More than 75 million people—or just over 28% of Americans—volunteered through an organization in 2023, according to a recent AmeriCorps report. Altogether, they gave nearly 5 billion hours of service with over $167 billion in economic value.
Those numbers are no belated April Fools’ joke.
They’re real—and really good news. We do come together in more ways than we give ourselves credit.
As luck would have it, we get to celebrate this good news all month. April is National Volunteer Month.
Volunteers are often the unsung (and unpaid) heroes at a nonprofit. They are a passionate, walking, talking symbol of your mission’s important work, to others and to their larger communities.
Volunteers are among your organization’s most loyal supporters, which also makes them important candidates for deeper involvement in fundraising, including planned giving.
Three Reasons It’s Worth It To Celebrate Your Volunteers
Half (50%) of volunteers say they give more financial support because they volunteer, says a Fidelity Charitable® report.
What’s more, 2 in 5 (42%) volunteered at a nonprofit before making a donation to that organization—a takeaway that shows for nearly half of people, volunteering also provides an inside look at an organization’s daily operations, environment and overall effectiveness, like a report card that informs legacy support.
They’re existing prospects for a gift down the road.
Nurture volunteers like you would your prospect pipeline. Of course they deserve the care and attention, but it’s also to plant the seed that their dedication is worthy of becoming a legacy for others to celebrate.
Avoid rushing talk of a gift, however, as that can possibly turn off some volunteers and send a negative vibe throughout your volunteer base.
Some ideas to carefully yet consistently nurture the gifting concept:
- Get them on your organization’s newsletter list. (Good news travels fast and builds loyalty.)
- Make sure they see your social media. (Post your nonprofit’s handles where volunteers can easily see them.)
- Show impact. (Stories about how others like them made a gift—and a forever impact—carry weight.)
- Slowly drip educational content. (Equip them with knowledge, empower them with inspiration. Make it their idea.)
Personal experience influences giving decisions.
Stelter research shows that personal experience with a charity is the most influential determinant in motivating donors to give.
Plus, Two Ways To Show Volunteers Your Gratitude
Send a thank-you.
A handwritten thank-you note will never go out of style. It’s a great gesture and a wonderful way to steward your volunteers.
Clear an afternoon to sit down and express your gratitude on paper—if at all possible.
If it becomes impractical to write thousands of thank-yous (a good problem to have!) consider a standard preprinted note with a signature. And don’t worry if you end up sending them out after the month is over; it’s never too late and always an appropriate time to thank donors for their service and support.
Share a video.
Record a video with smiling staff members or program recipients saying thanks.
At a loss for words? Create a simple handmade sign instead. Use a phrase like, “We love our volunteers!” “You’re the best!” “We appreciate you!” or “We couldn’t do this without you.”
Sign off with someone (an executive director, board member or recipient) saying something like “We appreciate you today and every day. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for all you do to help us achieve our mission of [state mission here]. Happy National Volunteer Month!”
Here are some heartwarming videos to inspire your own versions.
From UnityPoint Health:
A funny dad joke from ADRP they used to thank their volunteers:
Be social and thank them publicly.
Take it to social media. Publicly thank your volunteers with these social images, courtesy of Stelter.
To save the images: Click on an image to enlarge, then right-click on the image and choose Save Image As. To move to the next image, click the arrow to the right of the enlarged image.
Click, save and commence celebration.
For Instagram:
For Facebook and LinkedIn
