Discussion: Volunteer Appreciation

I was wondering how other Federations, Regional Associations or Clubs express their gratitude to the many volunteers that we all tend to rely on to keep the wheels of orienteering turning.
Obviously there is a line between breaking the bank (with shallow pockets) and not recognising adequately the contribution of volunteers so that they stop contributing.
Any thoughts or insights would be appreciated.

We organised the British Champs last year and as part of the sponsorship proposal I got Smartwool to give us hats for all the volunteers which was good for the brand as it actually gave more exposure on the day than the prizes did and the volunteers loved it!!

That's a great idea JennyJ! Probably those hats will still be treasured years from now.

But I think you have to be careful not to demean the voluntary spirit. For instance, over the years I've given countless hours organizing O activities and paying for supplies out of my own pocket. I really don't expect or want any "appreciation." No free tee shirt, event entry, or volunteer medal needed.

I volunteer because it makes me feel good...to see a well-run event, dozens of exhausted but happy faces, and my club treasury back in the black for a couple more months. I volunteer just for the simple "thanks" from the other club members whose friendships I've come to value. No trinkets could come close to those pleasures.

Absolutely agree about the simple 'thanks' - so often it gets forgotten though.

For local events, I've been an advocate of giving volunteers free entry.

In ROC land, we give free entry for all meet volunteers - ironically, this is of no benefit to those with the most work: meet director and course setter.

In addition, we've had a tradition of annual "club schedule" T-shirts which are quite popular. The folks that volunteered 5 times in a year get the next year's shirt for free. At our annual meeting, the names of all volunteers (which ends up being a huge percentage of the club) are printed on a poster, and those earning the shirts get a star by their name.

In CascadeOC, volunteers earn volunteer points, which they can redeem for free stuff. A standard shift at a local meet earns the equivalent of a free entry (or bumper sticker). Or you can save up volunteer points to earn e-punches, club jerseys, hoodies, etc. Event directors and course setters typically receive the equivalent of three free entries. There's a Google Doc that tracks how many points our volunteers have.

There's a points system in a club near here that requires a volunteer to administer it!

Helping on the day is an obvious obligation, and I think most people help in proportion to their benefit (ie those who participate more, help more.) In my club those who work beyond the day (planners, controllers and the least popular of all the club committee) are offered a half-price subscription next year. Not all of them take it up, but its a simple once-a-year task to send a thank you note and tangible offer.

Volunteer Appreciation is just like voting: You should do it early and often.

MNOC gives free entry to meet volunteers plus at our AGM we have a prize drawing of the names of all those who volunteered in the last year (one entry per each occasion volunteering, only one prize per person) (we record all meet volunteers as part of the meet results). We give out around $250 worth of prizes.

points, which they can redeem for free stuff

that sounds like a basic definition of money

Google Doc that tracks how many points

= online bank statement

might be worth looking at how parkrun do it - they seem to have a successful model (but don't need as many volunteers!) http://www.parkrun.org.uk/

BAOC has a special volunteer appreciation event every year. The Marin Water District allows us only 20 people at a time on our Bon Tempe Lake map. So we have a low-key event one weekend. Some people sign up for Saturday, some for Sunday. Not everyone can do it every year, but it's usually held in December, when there are a lot of non-orienteering things going on anyway.

Hand written thank you notes work.

Thanks for the practical ideas & suggestions.
I just want to pick up on @chitownclark's post to highlight the tension that prompted this post. My experience is that there is a continuum of volunteer types. On the one end, like @chitownclark, there are those for whom the "feel good factor" is sufficient. For those people an offer of a token of appreciation (financial, or some cool item) is often taken as an insult (maybe not quite that stark, but I'm sure you know what I mean). On the other side there are those who do it with the expectation of some sort of reward; those for whom an early and sincere "thanks" is not enough.
A major challenge is not "abusing" the altruism of the first type, whilst also recognising that volunteers at the other extreme might never be satisfied.

...expectation of some sort of reward...

Well many of our volunteers are well-paid professional people, who make in excess of $50/hr (annually six-figures). What can my club afford that will fulfill any reward expectations of these highly-motivated volunteers who sometimes work dozens of hours?

For my first A-meet as the meet director, I hand-turned large "venti" size coffee mugs and inscribed each volunteer's name and the event on the side. Eighteen years later I still see those mugs in people's houses when I visit. But that little effort cost ME a lot of valuable time. That's when I changed to simple "thanks" and it didn't seem to make any real difference in the number or quality of volunteers for subsequent A-meets.