Impactful Ways To Give Thanks to Your School Volunteers

Did you know that April 18-24 is National Volunteer Appreciation Week? Between room parents, PTA and PTO leaders, field trip chaperones, sports support, boosters, event chairs, etc, volunteers play and important and extremely impactful role in the K-12 education ecosystem. Recognizing them is a key make to make sure they feel appreciated and public recognition also had the benefit of sharing what volunteers do in your organization in case others are interested in helping. Here are some of our favorite ways to say “thank you” on any budget.

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Personalized Card: This one is pretty straight forward – you can go to the store and pick up some thank you cards. When writing them, make sure you mention any specific impact that the person, or the event, had on the school community. If you want to go green, you can also use an e-card, here is one of my favorite free thank you cards sites. No affiliation with us but I just think they have cool designs and they are very easy to send.

Spotlight: Whether on social media or on the school marquee, make the most of volunteer week by highlighting one volunteer each day. Whether you just say “thank you” or you write a few sentences about their impact, seeing their name “in lights” can make someone feel really special. If you do leverage social media for this, I would encourage listing how the person volunteered as it is a chance to share with others all the ways they can participate in the future. Here is a great template to create an image for any social platform.

Thank You Call: Do people even talk by phone anymore? It is less typical to receive a thank you phone call so that’s why this idea makes the list. You can create a list of all the volunteers and divide it among the leaders so that lessens the impact. Make sure that each leader has 1-2 bullet points explaining the activity the person was involved in and the impact of that activity. The call can be short 2-3 minutes, but the personal touch will be much appreciated. Don’t be afraid to leave a voicemail if the person doesn’t answer.

Thank You Certificate: Everyone likes to be officially recognized for their work and giving certificates to volunteers who went above and beyond is a nice way to commemorate their work. A certificate or plaque can be listed on someone’s resume, used as proof of their community service with employers, and/or just displayed with pride. It is also a pretty light lift for school leaders. We have an embedded image below but here is the original link in case you have trouble with the image.

You can use one or all of these volunteer appreciation suggestions at any time but make sure to send a quick thank you, even if just a quick social post, to all of those that help your organizations run throughout the year. If you have other ideas, send them our way.