6 Awesome Volunteer Recognition Award Ideas

Recognition & Motivation Ideas

volunteer recognition award ideas

Volunteers are the backbone of your organization. In fact, you might have a hard time running your organization without them. With Volunteer Recognition Day celebrated every April 20, you can show your appreciation with a lineup of volunteer recognition awards.

Make your volunteer recognition awards extra special by choosing unique award titles that creatively highlight different claims to fame. Here are some ideas for awesome awards to bestow on your hardworking volunteers:

Biggest Heart Award

Whether it’s to lend an ear, show up for an extra shift, or dedicate an entire weekend to service, the Biggest Heart volunteer is always there to help. This volunteer is kind, compassionate, gracious, and always giving to others.

Early Bird Award

You know that volunteer that’s always standing outside the door when you open, eagerly waiting to start working? It doesn’t matter if it’s raining, snowing, hailing, or even Daylight Savings Time. This guy or gal is first in line, waiting to help out your organization.

Perpetual Smile Award

You’re not sure if you’ve seen this person frown, ever. When things are tough, they’re smiling. When things are great, they’re grinning even bigger. This volunteer brings a smile to your doorstep every time he or she arrives, sharing it freely with everyone inside.

Band-Aid Award

Things go wrong from time to time in every organization, and the luckiest organizations have a volunteer who can always fix what’s gone wrong. Creative solutions, rapid action, and remedying any situation are the claims to fame of the recipient worthy of the Band-Aid Award.

On-the-Spot Award

Maybe three volunteers didn’t show up, or you need extra help to quash a crisis. The person who always comes through in a pinch deserves the On-the-Spot Award. They are, after all, always on the spot whenever you call and need them most.

Eternal Service Award

You may be lucky to have a volunteer that has been with the organization since the beginning, continues to show up and suit up every week, and is likely to stick with you far into the future. The Eternal Service Award honors the volunteer for ongoing service – a kind of lifetime achievement award in the world of volunteers.

Now that you have a solid idea of the types of volunteer recognition awards you want to dole out, all you need to do is get some quality certificate paper and lapel pins and make the awards happen. PaperDirect has an array of options you can have customized or print up on your office printer –  stock up today!