Your nonprofit organization’s success depends on many people, including donors, volunteers, and board members. Your staff, for example, plays a crucial role in day-to-day and big-picture operations, helping your nonprofit work towards its mission. It’s crucial to not overlook the work that your employees are doing and to appreciate the effort they make for your nonprofit.

In this article, we’ll cover these five nonprofit employee recognition ideas:

1. Say thank you.
2. Give gifts.
3. Create an employee recognition wall.
4. Host an employee appreciation event.
5. Establish an Employee of the Month program.

Employee recognition helps you to engage your staff, creating a positive working environment for employees to thrive. Furthermore, it shows that you value your staff, which helps motivate employees, leading to a higher employee retention rate and a stronger, more experienced team.

Now that you understand how important employee recognition is, let’s dive into some nonprofit employee recognition ideas!

1. Say thank you.

Employee recognition doesn’t need to be particularly frilly or fancy—often, it can be a simple thank-you. While many employees appreciate a verbalized, in-person thank-you, you can also say thank you through:

• Phone calls. If you’re unable to thank your employee in person, do it over a phone call for a personal touch. Phone calls also don’t need to be from your employee’s boss—they can be from anyone who works with the given employee and appreciates them. It can be from volunteers who want to say thank you for creating a great experience or even from your nonprofit’s beneficiaries.
• Letters. A handwritten thank-you letter can be a deeply personal method of showing appreciation and leaves your employees with tangible evidence that you value them.
• Emails. Sending a thank-you email is convenient and easy. This method is particularly well-suited for showing appreciation for remote employees.
• eCards. eCards are a unique yet familiar way to recognize employees. Your nonprofit can customize the image on the eCard and even add animated elements, and you can write a heartfelt note to your employee that they will receive along with the eCard through email.
• Social media shoutouts. When an employee does a particularly good job or is a consistently high performer, you can post on social media about them and the great work they’re doing. Make sure that your employee is alright with being publicly spotlighted, as some employees may be more private and wish to stay out of the limelight.

Much like your nonprofit would reach out to donors through multiple channels, consider also thanking your employees through different methods. For example, you might express your appreciation to them privately in person, and then recognize them more publicly with a social media shoutout. By saying thank you multiple ways through different methods, you will show your employees that you value them and are grateful for their hard work.

2. Give gifts.

Another way to recognize your employees’ hard work is by giving them gifts, which can be customized to fit your nonprofit’s budget. eCardWidget recommends the following gifts for showing employees your appreciation:

• Gift cards. Purchase a gift card for a popular local restaurant or retail store so your employees can treat themselves.
• Electronic devices. If your employees frequently work on a computer, consider getting a gift that might help them be more productive. For example, you could gift them a second monitor or a wireless mouse.
• Event tickets. People sometimes enjoy experiences more than physical gifts, which makes tickets to events such as concerts and sports games a great choice for an employee gift.
• Branded nonprofit merchandise. These can be t-shirts, laptop cases, water bottles, pens, lanyards, and so much more. A gift branded to your nonprofit emphasizes to your employee that they are a part of your team. It also helps increase your nonprofit’s brand recognition, as people will see these items whenever your employee uses them in public.

You can pair your gift with a heartfelt thank-you, an eCard, or a letter. This demonstrates to your employees that you value them as people and are invested in their happiness at your organization.

3. Create an employee recognition wall.

Since some employees enjoy public recognition of their work, consider creating an employee recognition wall. You can engrave plaques with the names of outstanding employees and hang them on the wall to highlight their work ethic and achievements. Whenever they pass by this wall, the recognized employee will feel valued for their contributions, increasing their motivation to help your nonprofit work towards its mission.

An employee recognition wall can take other forms, such as a trophy case. Or, if you’re looking for a lower-cost option as a nonprofit on a budget, you could even use a whiteboard. Simply write the names of the employees you’d like to recognize on the whiteboard, and put it in an area of your office where it can be easily seen.

4. Host an employee appreciation event.

Just as you would host a fundraising event—such as a silent auction—or a donor appreciation event, you can also host an event centered on employee appreciation. When doing so, consider the following:

• Thoroughly plan the event. Your employees will be able to tell if you put thought and effort into the event, and they will appreciate the work you’re doing to recognize them.
• Choose a fun activity. For example, you could organize a mini golf tournament, experience an escape room, visit an aquarium, or just go outside for lunch.
• Center your employees. Keep in mind that employee appreciation should be the core of the event. Make sure that the event is enjoyable for employees, and be sure to thank them for their hard work at the event's end.

When done well, an employee appreciation event can be a team bonding experience. This leads to stronger nonprofit teams that understand the value they bring, motivating them to perform at their best.

5. Establish an Employee of the Month program.

An Employee of the Month program essentially takes all the above ideas and combines them into one stellar employee recognition method. This type of program is pretty self-explanatory: every month, pick an employee that you want to recognize for the work they did in the former month.

The employee usually receives a commemorative item such as a certificate or a plaque, commending them on their good work. As part of the program, employees are also awarded a gift of some kind and sometimes paid time off or a bonus. You might even host a small event specifically dedicated to appreciating your employee of the month.

Establishing an Employee of the Month program gives your nonprofit’s staff something to strive for every month. This helps to motivate them, creating a more positive experience and increasing your employee retention rate.

About the Authors

Tim Badolato

Tim Badolato is the CEO of eCardWidget.com an innovative platform for digital employee recognition, donor acknowledgement, business marketing, and nonprofit marketing. He has a passion for using technology to drive positive outcomes for mission-driven businesses and nonprofits.