Fun in the Sun: 3 Summertime Treats to Show Volunteer Appreciation

Summertime is almost here and along with the gorgeous weather, vacations at the beach, and the meaningful work your organization does for your community, comes lots of fantastic opportunities to show your group of volunteers some sunny volunteer appreciation.

Some organizations work primarily out of offices. Many others work to improve their communities through outdoor projects, taking advantage of the blue skies and high temperatures prevalent during the summer months. Regardless of whether your organization creates change by working on a computer screen or by planting fresh veggies in the neighborhood garden, make sure to take advantage of the amazing weather and say thank you to all your volunteers!

Here are 3 fabulous ideas for staying cool, staying healthy and showing your gratitude to volunteers.

1. Throw a BBQ in your volunteers’ honor! Send out an email letting volunteers know that you and your organization want to say thank you with some food and fun in celebration of all their hard work. Check with your employees in advance and decide on the date that works for everyone. As for location, you can host it at your nonprofit’s offices or go to a local park and make use of the shaded pavilions and playground. Some public parks may even have a grill to use! Encourage volunteers to participate by inviting them to bring their families and a side dish, and let them know you’ll be covering the big stuff like foods to grill, drinks and dessert.
2. Water balloons help you cool off and have fun! Who doesn’t love the appeal of those shimmering brightly-colored orbs filled with water just waiting to be thrown in a friend’s direction? No matter your age, everyone enjoys water balloons especially during the dog days of summer. If you’re working on a service project outside in the sun give your volunteers a break with a bottle of cold water and water balloons to have a little fun. Or to go along with your awesome BBQ include a water balloon activity that gets everyone up and moving and having fun together. You can have a good old fashioned water balloon fight or choose from a variety of fun games to play with them.
3. Sunscreen makes a terrific summertime thank-you gift. This is a great idea particularly if your nonprofit does service projects outside during the summer months when sun exposure tends to be highest. Sunscreen comes in a variety of sun protection factors (SPF) but you want to shoot for one with an SPF between 15 and 45 as these will block most UV rays. Alongside the small gift include a note thanking the volunteer for helping your nonprofit and spending their summer days working hard to better the community. You can also include a few tips about how to minimize exposure when working in the sun like wearing long sleeves and sunglasses. This gift is thoughtful, useful, and informative for your volunteers!

How are you planning on telling your volunteers how much they mean to you this summer? Whether it’s a BBQ or a bottle of sunscreen with a note attached, make sure that your volunteers know how much you and your organization appreciate them. Tell us what some of your favorite ways are to recognize and show appreciation for volunteers! Connect with us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn to share your tips for success!