Volunteer Appreciation!

A few weeks ago I had to resign (for business reasons) from a fund raising committee that I had spent almost 15 years helping. It was a difficult decision because I had invested so much time and energy helping this successful fund raising banquet. To date I have not received any kind of acknowledgement from the event chair or the committee that they were sorry I was leaving; asking me why I was leaving or thanking me for my years of volunteering. Perhaps they will send me that acknowledgement at some point in the future, who knows, but that’s not really the point of this blog. Far too many committees and organizations ignore members who resign. Unfortunately, I know that I am not the only one to receive this treatment. In the past, as a committee member, I had seen other volunteers leave and know that there was no acknowledgement made to them. As a committee member was it my duty to make sure that departing volunteers be thanked and recognized for their contributions? Some would say that it wasn’t my place to become involved. Upon reflection, I disagree; I should have said something to the chair and to other committee members. They say that “volunteers are the life blood of any committee or organization”. If this is correct, isn’t it important to thank those that have to depart, for whatever reason. Committee management would do well to remember that these departing members could come back in the future; ask their friends to volunteer; attend the function and spend money or donate money and/or prizes to the event. There is a lot a stake here! Smart committees and organizations pay attention to the small details. That is why they are successful! Thanking both present and past volunteers is just good business and better still, IT IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO!

UPDATE: Shortly after publishing this Blog I received a very much appreciated e-mail from the chair of the banquet thanking Judi and I for our many years of volunteering. It was a great ending to an all too often oversight. Volunteers are far too hard to come by.