Appreciating What Matters: How Recognition Drives Retention

Staff members and volunteers form the backbone of any nonprofit. Their time and efforts have a direct impact on your organization’s ability to make a difference in your community. Recognizing their contributions can be critical to helping your nonprofit meet its goals over the long term.

That’s why so many nonprofit leaders are building an ongoing recognition program to reward the hard work, loyalty and important milestones achieved by both staff members and volunteers. 

Those efforts can pay off in significant ways. In fact, recent studies show that personal recognition programs can decrease turnover by as much as 43% – simply put,  employees and volunteers who feel valued are much more likely to remain committed to your mission.

Cost-Effective Recognition Strategies that Reward Nonprofit Employees

Many nonprofit employees acknowledge that their modest paychecks aren’t what drives them to excel at their jobs. Instead, they’re motivated by a deep passion to make the world a better place and a strong dedication to their organization’s mission.

Consider layering multiple recognition opportunities into the fabric of your organization to help keep staff members engaged in their work and loyal to your nonprofit. Recognition touchpoints could include:

• Spotlighting Mission Moments: Nonprofit managers should be encouraged to recognize individual employees during team meetings with specific examples of how their recent efforts directly helped the organization’s mission or a person in your community. Highlighting the impact of their actions helps bring a sense of pride in their work and also rewards behaviors you’d like to see in other employees.

• Encouraging Peer Recognition: While recognition from leadership can be effective, shout-outs from co-workers can be an even more powerful way to build a sense of team unity. A recent study by Auburn University found that staff members are 37% more likely to go the extra mile on projects when their organization has an ongoing peer recognition program. Make it easy for team members to publicly recognize staff who go above and beyond by implementing a “Bravo Board” in the team break room (complete with basic forms to help get staff members started) or set up a digital channel on a platform like Slack or TEAMS where fellow employees can recognize each other’s contributions. To kick-start the peer recognition process, consider asking managers to be on the lookout for exemplary examples from team members who do not report to them. When these managers begin “cross-seeding” the peer recognition process by using the Bravo Board, other employees may be more likely to join in the recognition cycle as well.

• Awarding Additional Time Off For Meeting Team Goals: While staff members are dedicated to your mission, it’s also important to recognize that they’re often busy people with a life outside of their job. Rewarding employees with a Friday afternoon off or an extra floating PTO day after meeting a big goal delivers the message that their efforts are valued and their contributions make a difference.

• Celebrating Employee Milestones: These celebrations can take many forms. Make an effort to acknowledge team member work anniversaries and birthdays with a quick congratulations as you see them in the hallways or during meetings. Personal notes wishing them a happy birthday and mentioning a reason you’re happy they’re on the team can also build team loyalty. Consider highlighting bigger milestones with special mentions in your organization’s newsletter or by presenting the team member with a special certificate highlighting their years of service or ongoing impact during an event or all-hands meeting.

• Investing in Growth: For employees with a demonstrated record of loyalty to your organization or who play important roles in key initiatives, your organization could recognize their contributions by providing professional development opportunities such as continuing education courses, conference attendance or sponsoring them in mentorship programs. Recognizing a team member’s value by helping to further their career can bring a significant boost to retention. A recent LinkedIn survey revealed that 94% of employees say they’d stay with their current employer if the organization invested in their career development.

Innovative Ways To Recognize Volunteers

Volunteers can be the fuel that pushes a nonprofit over the top when it comes to important goals. At the same time, they can be critical when an organization needs to scale up to meet growing needs within the community. But without recognition, volunteers may also feel that their efforts are undervalued and they could better spend their time elsewhere.

Rewarding volunteers with regular recognition can help your group build a solid network of volunteers who enthusiastically support your mission and can be counted on when you need extra manpower. At the same time, these loyal volunteers may eventually step into permanent  roles within your nonprofit or on your board.

Recognizing volunteers means more than remembering to thank them during speeches at events.  Building a strong volunteer recognition program often includes:

• Sending Personal Handwritten Notes or Emails: Today’s technology makes it easy to deploy a one-size-fits-all email to your volunteers after an event. While those communications have their place, personal notes and emails often deliver more impact and are perceived as more valuable. A personal note or email doesn’t need to be long to be meaningful. A short communication recognizing the volunteer’s time, their unique talents or connections, or their ongoing efforts on behalf of your organization can help you build a lasting connection.

• Creating Digital Badges Volunteers Can Earn: This can be particularly engaging for nonprofits that use online software to track volunteer hours. This digital recognition program can be based on the number of hours served, years involved with your organization, number of community members served or any other fun tie-ins to your mission. Remind volunteers of the badges they can earn and add them to their volunteer profile as they reach each level. If volunteers wear badges or nametags during events, consider adding icons for the badges they’ve earned next to their names. At events, volunteers who have earned certain badges could be highlighted as another layer of recognition. Long-time volunteers who have achieved significant badge levels could be honored with milestone certificates or plaques during annual events.

• Spotlighting Volunteers In Newsletters or on Social Media: Sharing volunteer stories and photos in your nonprofit’s newsletters or social media can be a powerful way to recognize these important contributions. Consider ways you can highlight groups of volunteers who may be unsung heroes during an event in addition to recognizing stand-out volunteers who go above and beyond for your organization. IMPORTANT: Be sure to get permission before sharing volunteer names, photos and stories. This could be as simple as asking volunteers to sign permission forms as they begin working with your organization.  However, for more in-depth features, it’s also smart to get permission for that specific spotlight.

• Providing Exclusive Experiences: Many volunteers are drawn to your nonprofit because they feel invested in or have been impacted by your cause. They want to help your group make a difference. Giving them an inside opportunity to learn more about your mission and how you’re meeting specific challenges in your community can be an attractive reward. “Behind-the-scenes” tours, early access to certain events or invitations to special volunteer/staff gatherings can also help increase their affinity for your nonprofit and solidify their sense of being a valued part of your organization’s team.

• Offering Tangible Career Assistance: Volunteering often helps people develop new skills, get real-life experience and build their resumes. These individuals might greatly appreciate a LinkedIn recommendation or letter of recommendation highlighting their effectiveness as they work with your organization. Identifying specific contributions the individual has made to your group and praising their work ethic or unique skills can help the person stand out as they seek to advance their career. At the same time, your recommendation builds their loyalty to your nonprofit and may help you attract volunteers with similar skills in the future.

• Hosting Volunteer Appreciation Events: Many people say they volunteer to build social connections and a sense of community. Budget-friendly volunteer picnics or gatherings can be a smart way to celebrate the efforts of your team of volunteers while also helping them forge friendships with other people who share their dedication to your cause. Encourage interactions among different types of volunteers with fun getting-to-know-you activities in addition to relaxed mingling.If possible, try to keep “shop talk” about your nonprofit’s mission at a minimum so people can focus on meeting other volunteers and have fun.

Ongoing Recognition Helps Nonprofits Build Stronger Relationships With Employees and Volunteers.

Implementing a strategy of frequent shout-outs and regular recognition is a cost-effective way to build engagement among both employees and volunteers. That ongoing engagement often results in a dedicated team that’s vested in helping your nonprofit meet its goals over the long term.

If you’d like more ideas on ways to develop a recognition and retention program, take advantage of the 60-day Free Trial of HR Workplace, powered by Mineral. You’ll find additional resources to help you build lasting connections with your nonprofit’s team members and volunteers.

SOURCES:

https://www.nonprofitlearninglab.org/post/recognize-to-retain-6-strategies-for-nonprofit-volunteer-retention

https://www.innovnp.com/blog/using-employee-recognition-programs-to-drive-retention

https://www.tremendous.com/blog/ideas-for-employee-recognition/#11-employee-recognition-ideas