Volunteer Resources
Volunteer coordination takes a variety of skills and abilities. Below you will find resources to help aid you in creating the best volunteer experience possible. To add resources not listed, please see the DVPA Forum to add yours!
DVPA's Facebook Account
DVPA April Meeting Tips
Volunteer Recruitment
VolunteerMatch
Volunteer Interview Questions
Volunteer Management
Program Sustainability
1. Take photos of volunteers and email them along with an email thank you. Handwritten notes are nice, but they use resources and create solid waste. The photos can be reproduced and sent to family members.
2. Seasonally appropriate and practical gifts (i.e. ice scraper).
3. A handpicked unique or better yet, handmade thank you card acknowledging their contribution.
4. Use specific examples when using verbal recognition for volunteers.
5. Send a thank you email or call on their birthday.
6. A gift certificate.
7. A trip to anywhere!
8. Volunteer lunch or "meet and greet" on a shoestring budget: potluck.
9. Staff wore "I (heart) ywca volunteers" buttons in April. Also, things that help volunteers improve shows them we appreciate them.
10. Send handwritten thank you cards after events.
11. Offer discounted services to volunteers after they have put in a certain number of hours.
12. Spoil them for a week! Different surprises everyday.
13. Self-care: journaling, picnic with games, movies, anything with food.
14. Puppy parade in their honor.
15. Press release, card of thanks and appreciation.
16. Food booth at the event or a gift certificate for afterwards.
17. Specific recognition given at a meeting or during a recognition event.
18. Annual Volunteer Potluck.
19. Presidential Service Awards.
DVPA's Facebook Account
DVPA April Meeting Tips
Volunteer Recruitment
VolunteerMatch
Volunteer Interview Questions
Volunteer Management
- General Management
- Nonprofit Network of Southwest Washington
- Energize, Inc.
- Nonprofit Buzz (Resources and Email Subscription for Tipsheets)
- Volunteer Retention Tip Sheet
- People First--Total Solutions
- Training
- VolunteerMatch: Webinars
- TACS: Training Opportunities
- Liability
- GVSU's Nonprofit Good Practice Guide
- Background Checks
- Concerns with "unpaid" interns
- Evaluation
- GVSU's Nonprofit Good Practice Guide
- Social Media
- Socia Media Club PDX
- Beth's Blog: How Non-Profits Can Use Social Media
- Amy Lee's Effective Electronic Media Presentation
Program Sustainability
- Grant writing
- Fort Vancouver Regional Library's Nonprofit Resources
- Foundation Center
- GuideStar
- Center for Nonprofit Success: Fundraising & Grant Writing
- Legacy
- Financial Statements
- Effective Meeting Minutes
- Center for Nonprofit Success: Organizational Transition
- Board Management
- Center for Nonprofit Success: Board Development
- Nonprofit Buzz
1. Take photos of volunteers and email them along with an email thank you. Handwritten notes are nice, but they use resources and create solid waste. The photos can be reproduced and sent to family members.
2. Seasonally appropriate and practical gifts (i.e. ice scraper).
3. A handpicked unique or better yet, handmade thank you card acknowledging their contribution.
4. Use specific examples when using verbal recognition for volunteers.
5. Send a thank you email or call on their birthday.
6. A gift certificate.
7. A trip to anywhere!
8. Volunteer lunch or "meet and greet" on a shoestring budget: potluck.
9. Staff wore "I (heart) ywca volunteers" buttons in April. Also, things that help volunteers improve shows them we appreciate them.
10. Send handwritten thank you cards after events.
11. Offer discounted services to volunteers after they have put in a certain number of hours.
12. Spoil them for a week! Different surprises everyday.
13. Self-care: journaling, picnic with games, movies, anything with food.
14. Puppy parade in their honor.
15. Press release, card of thanks and appreciation.
16. Food booth at the event or a gift certificate for afterwards.
17. Specific recognition given at a meeting or during a recognition event.
18. Annual Volunteer Potluck.
19. Presidential Service Awards.