Membership Knowledge Hub

This year, National Volunteer Week will take place April 10 - 16, 2011 in both Canada and the US. While England celebrates NVW in June and Australia in May.

What is your organization planning to celebrate National Volunteer Week? Here are some ideas and links to information for celebrating in Canada and the US:

Celebrating Volunteer Week in the US:

In the United States, National Volunteer week is sponsored by the Points of Light Institute. For more than two decades, Points of Light Institute has equipped nonprofit organizations to celebrate National Volunteer Week, providing visibility, thematic focus and resources to enable them to commemorate this signature week of volunteer recognition.

This year, the HandsOn Network  - the volunteer-focused arm of Points of Light Institute - website offers the following information and resources for National Volunteer Week:

• National Volunteer Week Online Store – where you can order National Volunteer Week – “Celebrating People in Action” buttons, t-shirts, totes, water bottles, etc.
  
• The National Volunteer Week Resource Guide (PDF) – information and ideas on how to get your community involved; share your stories and marketing resources (including the National Volunteer Week Logo, Banner sample, outreach tips, media advisory and news release).

Celebrating Volunteer Week in Canada:

The website offers:

• An “About National Volunteer Week” section, in which they note:

Canadians have a rich history of volunteering and community involvement. With 12.5 million of them dedicating their time across Canada, volunteers are on the front lines of all our community services. ...National Volunteer Week (NVW) pays tribute to the millions of Canadian volunteers who graciously donate their time and energy. This year’s 68th annual NVW ...is Canada’s largest celebration of volunteers, volunteerism, and civic participation.

• BestPractices in Volunteer Recognition – offers advice and tips on volunteer recognition
  
• National Volunteer Week marketing & promotion materials - such as

• Certificate of Appreciation
• Digital Thank-you E-card: “Canada's volunteers are real-life superheroes who accomplish remarkable feats with real impact." So, as a fun way to recognize these volunteer Super Heroes, you can create a fun e-card, choose one of their email greetings (or create your own) and email this to the volunteer (or group).
• Posters, postcards, banners, etc.

• Online Store – where you can order travel mugs, tote bags, balloons, and other National Volunteer Week promotional items.
  
• Media Site – with a full NVW media kit

More ideas for National Volunteer Week:

Energize Inc. notes that “several countries now have National Volunteer Week celebrations:

• USA (Points of Light):  http://www.handsonnetwork.org/events/nvw2010
• Canada: www.volunteer.ca/nvw
• England: http://www.volunteersweek.org.uk/ -- click from this page to Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Australia: http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/html/s02_article/
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This post also offers National Volunteer Week celebration ideas submitted by colleagues – have a look here: http://www.energizeinc.com/ideas/volwk.html

Engaging Volunteers blog - It's Coming: Get Ready for National Volunteer Week:

This post offers suggestions for celebrating, including:

• Plan a volunteer appreciation event.
• Take advantage of the big buzz about volunteering and create some new volunteer opportunities for new supporters. You can post them on VolunteerMatch using keyword “National Volunteer Week,” and they’ll be streamed on the special seasons of service page.
• Update your listings on VolunteerMatch so your dedicated volunteers can find you more easily – after all, relationships are a two-way street.
• Share the stories of your volunteers, both new and old, and what they’ve done for your organization.

e-How. com - The History of National Volunteer Week: