One of the most important ways a PTA can get the most from its volunteers is to acknowledge their efforts. Perhaps your school had a volunteer recognition event back in April during National Volunteer Week. As your PTA year wraps up, be sure to thank your volunteers both publicly and privately for their work, and don’t forget to share with your administration what all those volunteer hours mean for your school. Independent Sector, a leadership network for nonprofits, estimates that the value of volunteer time for 2015 is $23.56/hour.
When recognizing volunteers, you can always go with the nice suitable-for-framing certificate, a small gift card, or a donation to the Illinois PTA Scholarship Fund. Instead of the $10 gift card or simple certificate, consider making simple volunteer recognition awards that acknowledge the hard work and importance of your volunteers in a fun way. Remember, with these sorts of awards, the presentation is as important as the award itself, so ham it up!
Awards can be easily made with simple hobby or hardware store items—a small painted plaque, a decorative item, and a little bit of hot glue are all you need. Here are some award suggestions:
- Our Eyes Are On You: For the leader who sets the example (button eyes on a large felt U)
- Order of the Spare Marble: For the person who’s lost them (a marble glued to a small piece of wood or to a string )
- Spark Plug Award: For the person who is the spark of a project (a spark plug)
- Berry Good Job: For the person who did a “Berry Good Job” (a wax or plastic berry (any kind))
- Measure Up Award: For the person who’s performance sets the standard (a ruler)
- Nuts About the Job Award: For the person who had to be nuts to take on the job (2 or 3 peanuts glued to a piece of wood)
- Order of the Bear: For those that bear up under pressure (a plastic bear with a tire gauge)
- Life Saver Award: For that person who saved you (a Lifesaver on a string)
- Banana Award: For the person with great appeal (a wax or plastic banana)
- Bright Idea Award: For those who had a bright idea (a light bulb)
- Helping Hand Award: For those who was willing to help (trace a hand on construction paper mounted to a piece of cardboard)
- Hat’s Off Award: For someone we take our hats off to (an old hat mounted on a piece of wood)
- Right Foot Award: For those who got us off on the right foot (Trace a RIGHT foot –use caution some may not know left from right)
- Big Heart Award: For those who always seem to have one (heart shaped craft material of any kind, then decorated)
- “Egg”cellent job/idea /etc. Award: For those who did an excellent job (fake egg)
- Heartfelt Thanks Award: Self-explanatory (large heart cut from felt with “Thanks” on it)
- Thanks a Million Award: For the person you’d pay a million dollars for to have them volunteering in your PTA (a million dollars in play money or a million-dollar bill)
- “Shell” of a Job Award: For the person who did a great job (seashell)
- Hung in There Award: For the person who stuck through a tough job (anything hanging from something (try to get a picture of the person))
- Worked Like a Dog Award: For the person who did just that (dog biscuit or bone)
- Tee-rific Award: For the person who did a terrific job (a golf tee or tea bag)
- The Coveted Dime-and-Pin Award: For those you would give a diamond pin to if the PTA budget could afford it (glue a pin to a dime)
- Rose to the Occasion Award: For the person who really stepped up (an artificial or ribbon rose)
- It’s “Bean” Wonderful Award: For the person leaving your PTA (a lima or other large bean)
- Knocked Yourself Out Award: For the person who gave their all (a small hammer, mini baseball bat, or mini boxing glove)
- Shining Example Award: For those who best exemplify your PTA (a small flashlight)
- Hornblower Award: For those who never blow their own horn (a plastic bicycle horn or party horn)
- Megaphone Award: For those who are soft spoken but get the job done or who never shout
- The Band-Aid Award: For those who can fix anything
- The Rock Award: For those who are the rock of the group
- The Rope Award: For those who always tie up the loose ends (a piece of manila/sisal/hemp rope with the ends whipped)
- The Crutch Award: For those you can lean on
- Key to Success Award: For those who were key to making it happen
- Whale Award: For those who did a whale of job
- Football Award: For the person who always is willing to tackle a job (a small football or football player)
- Cone Award: For the person who can lick any job (an ice cream cone)
Graphic ©2015 by Ashashyou under Creative Commons license via Wikimedia Commons.
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