Would anyone please share what you have done to show appreciation to your volunteers or donors. We have thought about maybe framing a photo and have the children autograph the matte. Any ideals would be appreciated.
Some ideas:
1. Goody bags, containing coupons and small items donated by various places around town. If a store or service provider can't donate money to the project, ask if they'd donate coupons for 10% off at their establishment to your volunteers, or a small item you can give away or raffle off.
2. I've heard of some builds that have professional masseuses donate their services for the Build Day, so volunteers can get 5-minute backrubs between hauling mulch.
3. The major funder for a build here in Washington, D.C. last week brought out an ice cream cart and had free ice cream and frozen treats available to the volunteers all day. It was a warm day, so it was much appreciated by the volunteers!
4. Thank-you cards created by the kids on Build Day.
Those are just a few ideas off the top of my head. I bet other folks in the Forum have even more!
On most of our builds, at the end of the day, we have a beautiful ribbon cutting ceremony. Of course there are great pictures from that, but many of the volunteers (especially if they are coming from far and wide) will never get the chance to see kids playing on the playground that they built. It's great to include an action shot of the kids on the playground as well as a 'before shot' to show how much the site has changed. There is also such an amazing difference between these two photos and is a great way to appreciate volunteers/donors (if you have a way to get photos to them after the build day).
Another idea is to have a short video clip of the children play or sharing what the playground means to them after Build Day. If you have the email addresses of your volunteers/donors, you can send them the link, or you could include it on your community's website, or hang a banner by the playground with the video clip address! It's a fun and interactive way to say "thanks" after the build!
A great way to keep donors thinking about the project and your community, is to send them an 'anniversary card'! This could be from the children, or perhaps it could include a poem or something of the sort from a student, is a great way to keep in touch with your donors and make them feel continually appreciated!