Welcome to Volunteer Appreciation Month

Did you know that about 62.6 million people volunteered through or for an organization at least once between September 2014 and September 2015?

Did you also know that April is Volunteer Appreciation Month?

Good job, volunteers! Keep up the good work. And good job to our dedicated nonprofit and exempt organizations who reach out and organize their volunteers!

While volunteering differs depending on the organization, we offer our appreciation to all of you out there who have taken your time and money to better our world!

How Can You as an Exempt Organization Show Your Appreciation?

Well, communicate with your volunteer base! Send out an email or a social media message that conveys your appreciation.

If you’re already following our guide to email marketing, this should be easy for you.

Reach out to a Local Company as a Partner

Let’s be honest, there are many benefits for businesses when it comes to volunteering. They can market their products and services through events and increase their appeal to the community by helping out.

For Volunteer Month, team up with a local company that could offer your volunteer base some cool perks. This could range from free swag to discounts, depending on what the local business does.

Everyone Loves a Good Meal

It turns out collecting, preparing, distributing, and serving food were the activities volunteers performed the most in 2015. Around 11 percent of volunteers reported this as their main activity, with teaching, fundraising, and general labor following, respectively.

Show your volunteers you appreciate their efforts by throwing them an appreciation banquet, cookout, or even a pizza party!

On top of everything, these events are the perfect opportunity to reconnect with and learn more about your volunteers.

What Makes Volunteers Tick?

Appreciative emails and cookouts aside, April gives you the perfect chance to learn more about your volunteer base.

How? By surveying your base, you can find out why they volunteer, what works as a call to action, and how you can make the process easier for them.

Some people would rather donate canned goods or funds, and some would rather use their time doing hands-on activities to better the organization. Do you know which volunteers are which? This is the time for you to find out!

Of course, we would like to extend our appreciation to both volunteers and nonprofits out there! Without your dedication and philanthropy, the world would be a darker place.

Don’t forget, if you’re an exempt organization running on a calendar year, you have a deadline for your tax return on May 15th. Whether you’re e-filing Form 990-N or the 990 long, we’re here to answer any questions you may come across. Just reach out to us at 704.839.2321 or [email protected].

How are you going to appreciate your volunteers this month? Let us know in the comments, or on Facebook and Twitter!