Engaging Through Gratitude: How to Thank Event Volunteers

Volunteers are crucial to event success. With so many moving parts, you can’t be everywhere at once.

Volunteers make events a positive, engaging experience for attendees from the moment they approach the check-in desk to when they find their seats. Not to mention, your tech volunteers work behind the scenes of hybrid and virtual events to troubleshoot and keep the event running smoothly. In other words, your generous volunteers help pull your event off.

So, what can your organization do to show how much your volunteers’ efforts mean to you and keep them coming back? In this guide, we’ll cover the following strategies for showing gratitude:

• Reach volunteers where they are.
• Personalize your messages.
• Share the impact of your event.

Before you craft a genuine, personalized thank-you message to your volunteers, you need to make sure that you’ll be able to reach them. Let’s get started!

Reach Volunteers Where They Are

Think about your current volunteer recruitment strategy. You could leverage your website, post a call to action on social media, and send a message to your email subscribers. No matter which method you choose, the goal is to ensure your message gets in front of prospective volunteers’ eyes. 

Thanking your volunteers is no different. To find out which channels they engage with most, reference data from past marketing campaigns and your recruitment efforts. Most simply, you can also use any contact information volunteers provided on application forms. If you haven’t already, consider adding a question to your sign-up form asking volunteers to identify their preferred communication method.

Once you’ve identified the communication channels your volunteers are most familiar with, you’ll need to choose a messaging strategy for each channel. Here are a few ideas:

• Email: Emails are a personal, one-on-one communication method. Write a detailed, personalized thank-you letter and send it to those who prefer this channel. Or, choose a more engaging option like a branded digital eCard. As eCardWidget’s volunteer retention guide explains, these eCards are a bit more flexible, allowing for endless design and messaging options while being easy to use.
• Phone: Call any volunteers who served in leadership roles or went above and beyond in their roles. Have a friendly conversation about the event, express your gratitude, and ask them how they thought it went. You might also ask them about any personal details you’re aware of (e.g., maybe they recently got married or had a birthday) to deepen the relationship.
• Direct mail: For some volunteers, direct mail feels more genuine than digital communications. After all, this channel shows that your organization took the time to handwrite and send a letter to them. To ensure recipients know the mail is coming from you (and avoid your letters getting tossed out as junk mail), consider using branded envelopes and stationery. 

If you aren’t sure how best to contact your volunteers, you can reach out through your volunteer management software or mobile app. Since your volunteers have already used these tools to access schedules or log hours, you know they have access to them and are familiar with the interface.

Personalize Your Messages

Fundraising Letters’ guide to thanking volunteers explains your messages should make volunteers feel a personal connection to your organization and strengthen your relationships. Acknowledge the specific ways that they helped shows that you appreciate their individual contributions.

When writing thank-you letters or notes, add a personal touch by:

• Greeting volunteers by name. Avoid boilerplate greetings and opt for a more personal approach. This is the first thing volunteers will read when they open your message, and it will set the tone for the rest of the card or letter. 
• Mentioning what the volunteer did. Be specific when thanking volunteers. Rather than saying, “Thank you for your hard work at our event,” try saying,“We appreciate the 8 hours you dedicated to checking in registrants, distributing lanyards, and helping attendees find their way.”
• Sharing upcoming opportunities. Show that you couldn’t organize events without your volunteers and encourage them to help out again in the future. Invite them to future events they might be interested in, ask them for assistance promoting upcoming events, or request that they help you recruit more volunteers.
• Adding a tailored closing. Finish the letter with genuine well-wishes and something personal. For example, you could wish them happy holidays, acknowledge an upcoming birthday or other milestone, or say you hope to see them at your next event. Make sure the letter is signed by someone the volunteer interacted with, such as their team leader or the volunteer coordinator.

If your organization is classified as a 501(c)(3) organization, you might also urge volunteers to take advantage of CSR initiatives through their employers. For example, they may be able to secure a volunteer grant for your organization, depending on how many hours they’ve spent volunteering. Consider leveraging employer data about volunteers to identify those with CSR programs or simply ask them to inquire about these initiatives at their workplace. 

Share the Impact of Your Event

Along with mentioning the specific ways volunteers helped you, it can be helpful to share the impact that they made. This shows volunteers that their hard work had tangible results, inspiring them to continue driving results at future events.

Make sure to note which team or responsibility the volunteer served on and include metrics relevant to their position. For example, volunteers who worked at your check-in desk might be interested in knowing how many attendees they helped. 

Some of the impact metrics you could share with volunteers include:

• The number of attendees 
• Growth in attendance compared to previous events
• New connections made, either between attendees or with prospective new members
• Total volunteer hours contributed to the event
• Positive feedback from attendees
• Social media reach (e.g., the number of posts using your event hashtag)

You can also use these impact metrics to identify top performers. These are your hardest-working volunteers who are likely to be loyal and dedicated in the future. For instance, you might identify the IT volunteer who solved the most tech issues during the event. Encourage them to keep up the good work and consider rewarding them with public recognition or awards, such as making them your volunteer of the month, quarter, or year.

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These strategies will motivate more volunteers to return to future events, helping your organization build a strong base of reliable volunteers. Remember that you can apply these strategies to other areas of your operations, such as welcoming members or engaging current ones, to boost metrics like member retention and satisfaction. Focus on communicating your gratitude personally and genuinely, and you’ll earn the ongoing support of volunteers, members, and attendees alike.