National Volunteer Week starts on April 10. Traditionally, it’s a time for nonprofits to take a step back and focus on the work that volunteers do to help support their causes.

It’s a time of thank you cards and dinners, a time to recognize volunteers’ achievements over the past year and to celebrate the work volunteers do to support the causes that they’re passionate about.

This year, we’re proposing something a little bit different.

This year we want you to be sure to tell your volunteers how much you appreciate them, but we want you to do something else, too.

Tell everyone that you can how important your volunteers are to your organization.

Write a letter to the editor of your local paper. Tell them how important volunteers are to your organization and how many more people your organization is able to serve because of the dedication of your volunteers.

Write a letter to your mayor, governor, or senator. Tell the story of volunteers and your organization. Highlight the importance of volunteers in providing services to people in need in your community. If there is a particularly compelling story about the impact a volunteer has had on a client, be sure to include it in the letter. Ask the person you’re writing to work to support the work of volunteers in the community so they can continue to achieve great things in their communities.

Write a letter to your funders. Highlight the importance of volunteers in supporting the work that your organization does. Mention your volunteers by name, and point out the important work that they’re doing with the organization. Be sure to talk about volunteers have achieved over the past year and how the organization is stronger because of the dedication of your volunteers.

Be sure to say thank you. If you’re having an event to honor your volunteers, be sure to take a moment to thank all of the volunteers that you work with for their work over the past year. If you’re planning to say thank you to the volunteers you work with as a group, that’s fine. Try taking some time at the event to talk to each volunteer individually and thank them, too.

Don’t forget to thank your volunteers throughout the year, too. While National Volunteer Week is a great time to highlight the work that volunteers have done over the past year and to thank them for their service, remember to thank your volunteers throughout the year for the work that they do for your organization.

SUPER BONUS TIPS:

• Giving Thanks For Volunteers
• The Nine Basic Rules for Volunteer Recognition
• Generational Volunteer Appreciation