Taking Time to Recognize your Volunteers

Last week during Texas 4-H Roundup, 32 volunteers were honored with a variety of awards at the 4-H Salute to Excellence Banquet. These volunteers have contributed countless hours of time to the 4-H program, in addition to sharing their talents, knowledge and skills with 4-H members. This 4-H volunteer awards program is a great way to say thanks and recognize your volunteers on the state level. If you missed the chance to nominate someone for an award, be sure to mark on your calendar for next year! Nomination forms are usually due to the district office mid-March. Information about the volunteer recognition program is available online at: http://texas4-h.tamu.edu/volunteers/recognition_volunteer/index_recognition_volunteer.php

Of course, recognition of volunteers at the state level is great! However, it's important that volunteers are also recognized locally, too. Recognition is the "R" in the ISOTURE model, and should be something we try to do on a regular basis - not just at the Salute to Excellence Banquet, county awards banquets or during National Volunteer Week.

There are two primary categories of recognition: formal and informal.

Formal recognition is the more traditional method of recognizing volunteers. This includes:

• Annual recognition events/banquets
• Pins and certificates of service
• Honor roll of volunteers
• Special awards for volunteers

Informal recognition should be an ongoing part of a volunteer management plan and includes:

• Keeping them updated on new developments in the organization
• Inviting them to be a part of decision making
  
• Paying for them to attend volunteer trainings
• Asking them to mentor new volunteers
• Consult with them in their area of expertise
• Let them know they are missed when they are absent
• Say "thank you" or send a hand-written thank you note

Volunteers tend to stick around when they feel satisfied and appreciated. Appropriate recognition is a great motivational tool. When thinking about how to recognize your volunteers, be sure to custom fit it to the individual. Some volunteers don't like to be in the spotlight, while others thrive on the attention. You can learn what a volunteer likes by building a relationship with them and simply taking the time to get to know them. When Extension professionals build a relationship with volunteers, the rewards become more valuable. Some rules of good recognition are:

• Timely
• Personal and tailored
• Spontaneous and sincere
• Ongoing basis
• Don't be afraid to be creative
• Make them feel appreciated every day

For more information about recognizing volunteers, you can visit http://od.tamu.edu (click on "volunteerism resources" and then "volunteer administrator resources."