Recognising and Awarding Volunteers

Volunteer recognition

When volunteers join your organisation it makes the utmost sense to make every effort to retain them. It is a costly proposition to recruit and train replacement volunteers. Moreover, the time lost in recruiting replacement volunteers can result in lengthy periods where an organisation may not be able to deliver the additional quality of service that a volunteer may bring to the organisation.

One important way of encouraging your volunteers to remain with your organisation is to give then adequate recognition. Recognition to be effective should be consistent and ongoing. Volunteers can quickly loose motivation if they feel that their work is not valued.

Volunteer managers should be aware that the way volunteer efforts are recognised is of importance. This is because one volunteer may regard one type of recognition as valuable whilst another volunteer may feel it has little worth. If a Volunteer Manager is aware of the volunteer's motivation in working for the organisation then this will provide a good indication for the type of recognition that the volunteer is seeking. For example, if a volunteer is hoping to obtain paid employment, they will value opportunities to receive training and obtain a certificate of training recognition or they may value a referee for their résumé.

In many cases, volunteers that are motivated by helping the community will see their work as reward and will only require support from their volunteer organisation. The support of paid staff and the Volunteer Manager can be shown in many ways. The enthusiasm of paid staff to the aims of the volunteer program is very important because it will naturally engender within the organisation the recognition that volunteers are important.

Some ways that volunteer organisations may give recognition to their volunteers are:

• Adequately orientate volunteers.
• Volunteer coordinators are readily accessible to volunteers.
• Encourage volunteer participation in team planning.
• Encourage volunteer participation in planning that effects their work.
• Provide training.
• Give additional responsibility.
• Enable volunteers to 'grow' on the job.
• Include volunteers in special events.
• Include volunteers in coffee breaks.
• Recommend volunteers to prospective employers.
• Maintain Occupational Health and Safety standards.
• Take the time to explain and listen to volunteer's ideas and concerns.
• Recognise and accommodate personal needs and problems.
• Celebrate achievements and efforts.
• Keep volunteers informed via newsletter.
• Provide letters of reference.
• Send birthday and Christmas cards.
• Allocate notice board space to applaud volunteer achievement.
• Organise awards with certificates, plaques or medals.

National Volunteer Week: 10–16 May 2010

National Volunteer Week provides a national focus for organisations wanting to recruit volunteers and promote the value of volunteering to the community. Each year, Volunteering Australia adopts a different theme that is launched during the week and used for the following 12 months.

Any organisation involving volunteers is welcome to participate in the week and use the theme to promote volunteering in their local area.

Volunteering Australia inherited the coordination of National Volunteer Week from one of its predecessor organisations. Since this transition in the early 90s, Volunteering Australia has continued to set both the dates and the theme each year, as well as providing support and resources.

In Australia, National Volunteer Week is celebrated in May, from the Monday immediately after Mother's Day to the following Sunday.

International Volunteer Day: 5 December

December 5 was declared as International Volunteer Day (IVD) by the United Nations General Assembly in 1985. The first International Volunteer Day was celebrated in l986 by dozens of countries. Activities ranged from clean-up campaigns, round- table conferences, competitions and exhibitions.

In Australia, International Volunteer Day has been designated as a day for the recognition of volunteer involvement; a day in which organisations can thank their volunteer staff.

Find out more about IVD on World Volunteer Web.

Want to plan an IVD event or find out some tips on how to thank your volunteers - check out these great suggestions from The Centre for Volunteering and World Volunteer Web.

International Volunteer Manager Appreciation Day: 1 November

International Volunteer Manager Appreciation Day is celebrated throughout the world on 1 November. The annual event recognises the efforts of the dedicated group of volunteer resources managers who are responsible for the coordination, support, training, administration, leadership and recruitment of the world's volunteers – skilled individuals who are adept at taking singular passion and turning it into effective action. For more information, please visit www.volunteermanagersday.org

Awarding volunteers

A number awards are given each year to volunteers who've made an outstanding contribution to the community. Here are a list of awards you can nominate someone for or be nominated for:

The Centre for Volunteering's NSW Volunteer of the Year Awards
The NSW Volunteer of the Year Award is an annual awards program launched in 2007 by The Centre for Volunteering to recognise the outstanding efforts of the 1.7 million volunteers in NSW, and to promote the importance of volunteering to the community and to companies. Prior to 2007 there was no state-wide recognition program for volunteers. The Centre for Volunteering is working with other state peak bodies to take these Awards nationally in the future. Now in its fourth year, the 2010 NSW Volunteer of the Year Award is open for nominations May–September 2010 and the State winners are announced on 3 December 2010.

Australian Safer Communities Awards
These awards are conducted by Emergency Management Australia and seek to nominate community groups and individuals who make our communities safer places in which to live. The very great majority of candidates for these awards are volunteers.

NAB Volunteer Awards
The National Volunteer Awards (formerly the National Community Link awards) were established in 1997 by the National Bank, who in partnership with Volunteering Australia has raised the profile of these awards to be Australia's premiere volunteering showcase. The Awards recognise the commitment of volunteers around Australia and reward the organisations who demonstrate best practice in their management of this workforce of unsung heroes.

National Honours Award Scheme
Twice a year national awards are given out by the Governor-General in his capacity as Head of State. These awards are issued from Canberra to publicly recognize, reward and celebrate achievement and service. They are a way the community - through the Government - can acknowledge and express gratitude for the inspiring work many volunteers and their organisations perform. Know of an Australian who has rendered outstanding achievements to the community through their voluntary activity? Why not nominate them for an Australian Honours Award?

Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Community Business Partnerships
This annual award, established in 1998, seeks to publicly recognise business and community groups who are working together in a 'spirit of social coalition, to tackle problems of disadvantage and to build stronger local communities'. Very many past recipients of these awards are shining examples of community spirit and volunteerism in action.

ACSA National Volunteer Awards (MS Word Doc)
The ACSA (Aged and Community Services Australia) National Volunteer Award recognizes an individual who exemplifies the tireless generosity of volunteers in caring for and supporting older people, people with disabilities and their carers. Whilst this award is made to an individual, ACSA considers it representative of the many volunteers who give so generously of themselves. ACSA will support the winner to attend their national conference to receive the award. If the winner is unable to attend, then an alternative prize will be negotiated.

NSW Government Heritage Volunteer Awards
In NSW there is a long and illustrious history of volunteering in heritage conservation work and without volunteers, many of the hundreds of community heritage projects run each year in NSW would not be possible. The awards recognise the outstanding performance of individuals and community groups, who have significantly improved the profile of heritage management in their local communities, successfully motivated and managed heritage projects and promoted the value of heritage.

Browse Volunteering Australia's Volunteering Awards Calendar.

Sources include Volunteering Australia and The Centre for Volunteering.