By: David Bellm, Illinois Association of Museums Volunteer

Volunteers are essential to the success of museums, enhancing the visitor experience and offering invaluable support behind the scenes. For many museums, day-to-day operations would be nearly impossible without the valuable work of people who generously give their time for free. For that reason, it’s vital that museums nurture and maintain their volunteer staff by acknowledging and celebrating the unique contributions of volunteers.

To show appreciation for volunteers, museums often recognize individuals with awards, thank-you notes, or special mentions on social media and in newsletters. While gestures like these are certainly worthwhile, the relationship between museums and their volunteers can further benefit from a deeper, more nuanced approach. This ‘deep appreciation’ mindset empathizes with the underlying goals and emotions of volunteers and builds on these motivators with long-term collaboration.

Such an approach is, of course, more complex and time-intensive than simply praising volunteers' contributions. However, deep appreciation isn’t necessarily difficult. It starts with understanding what volunteers hope to get out of their individual efforts and then working with them to guide their museum journey toward those goals. Here are some great ways to begin:

Tailor Appreciation to Individual Goals and Interests

Showing deep appreciation for volunteers should begin by understanding each person’s needs, expectations, goals, and interests. Be prepared for these to vary widely. Some volunteers come to make friends and socialize, others are drawn by a passion for the museum’s particular subject matter, and some are looking to build skills and experience for career development.

Museum volunteer managers should have a one-on-one meeting with each volunteer as part of the onboarding process to discuss what the volunteer hopes to get out of the experience. The insight gained from this discussion can shape and inform how each volunteer is utilized. For example, a volunteer with a graphic design background might enjoy creating promotional materials for an upcoming exhibition, or someone passionate about community outreach may welcome the opportunity to create an engagement program.

Create a Structured Development Program for Volunteers

Once you understand the deeper personal motivations of your volunteers, you can utilize their time and experience more effectively by building a volunteer development program that tailors opportunities to individual skills and experiences. Although there’s no set way to implement such a program, one proven method is a tiered system. In this arrangement, volunteers would start with foundational roles and then advance to more complex responsibilities as they gain skills and experience.

To further enhance the appreciation aspect of such a program, volunteers could be given the opportunity to earn certifications or badges in various areas of their work, such as curatorial skills, visitor education, or research. By adding this structure and recognition, you build reward and acknowledgment into the program, giving volunteers the appreciation and respect they deserve.

Provide Career Development Assistance

While some people volunteer at museums purely for enjoyment, many do so to build experience and skills they can apply to their careers. This is particularly true among younger volunteers. A great way to show appreciation for these volunteers is by providing guidance and support for their career aspirations. This can take the form of ongoing mentorship, where the museum pairs volunteers with appropriate staff members who can provide valuable insight and direction.

Such mentorship can be shaped and scaled to fit available resources and the needs of individual volunteers. Potential activities include job-shadowing, portfolio or resume development, and regularly scheduled one-on-one discussions. Programs like this not only provide valuable services to volunteers, but they also deepen the volunteer’s connection to the organization, motivating them to do high-quality work and maintain consistent attendance. Together, these reasons make mentorship one of the most meaningful ways museums can show appreciation for their volunteers.

Invite Volunteers to Help Develop Exhibits and Programs

Another great way to show appreciation for volunteers is by inviting them to help with the creative and planning processes of exhibits and programs. Doing so can be a ‘win-win’ for both volunteers and museums. In addition to bringing extra resources to the table, volunteers often have unique perspectives, derived from their personal interests and experiences. Involving them in the creative process gives them an opportunity to contribute these individual traits while acknowledging their skills and ideas.

The ways volunteers could assist in this process are nearly unlimited, but there are easy ways to start. For example, the museum could invite volunteers to design a temporary exhibit, suggest themes or objects for an upcoming show, or help plan a lecture series. Doing so shows that the museum values volunteers and what they offer. At the same time, it gives them a deeper sense of ownership and pride in the organization.

Offer Leadership Opportunities

Allowing volunteers to take on leadership roles is a great way to show them respect and appreciation. While not all volunteers have the desire, qualifications, or willingness to take on the greater responsibility that comes with leadership, many would welcome the opportunity. Acknowledging this shows volunteers that the museum is paying attention to their needs and values what they can contribute.

The possibilities for leadership are limited only by imagination. For example, seasoned volunteers can be given the chance to lead teams of new volunteers, facilitate tours, or manage certain events and programs. Volunteers could also be invited to host talks, workshops, or special events. Doing so would, of course, require ongoing direction, collaboration, and guidance from museum staff members. But this effort would pay off richly in terms of appreciation and recognition for volunteers.

Provide Opportunities to Network

Museums often have connections to a wide range of different professions and the people who work in those fields. This makes them a great source of networking possibilities, especially valuable to volunteers early in their careers. And so, another great way to show appreciation for volunteers is by helping them access these professional networking opportunities.

This could be achieved by facilitating introductions to museum professionals, offering tickets to museum conferences, or hosting networking events where volunteers can meet museum professionals. By helping volunteers build connections, museums can strengthen the bond with them. At the same time, it shows that the museum values not only what they contribute now but also their long-term potential.

Offer Financial Support for Further Education or Training

Another powerful way to recognize and show appreciation for volunteers is to provide tangible support for their ongoing education and career development. If there’s room in the museum’s budget, the museum could provide stipends or scholarships for workshops, seminars, or even degrees and certifications in the museum sector.

Although not all museums can afford such investments, keep in mind that these efforts don’t necessarily have to be large. It’s truly a matter of "It’s the thought that counts." Even a relatively small amount spent on training and education can send a powerful message that volunteers are valued by the organization. What’s more, it can pay dividends back to the museum by making volunteers more effective in their roles.

Deep Appreciation Benefits Everyone

When showing appreciation for museum volunteers, traditional methods such as awards and social media shout-outs are still effective. Museums should never stop those proven ways of highlighting and celebrating the contributions of volunteers. However, the potent benefits of showing appreciation in a deeper way require going beyond these more typical approaches.

By taking the time to learn the personal and professional needs of each volunteer and then providing opportunities for them to fulfill these aspirations, you can build deeper connections and greater motivation. In doing so, museums can more effectively develop a capable roster of experienced volunteers by empowering them to grow within the organization and beyond.

Sources:

 

Designing a Museum Volunteer Program – American Alliance of Museums

https://www.aam-us.org/programs/toolkits/designing-a-museum-volunteer-program/

 

Building a Strong Museum Volunteer Program: 4 Strategies – Civic Champs

https://www.civicchamps.com/post/build-museum-volunteer-program

 

9 Ways to Motivate and Engage Your Nonprofit’s Volunteers – Donorbox

https://donorbox.org/nonprofit-blog/motivate-and-engage-your-nonprofits-volunteers

 

10 Strategies to Show Appreciation to Your Volunteers – ASU Lodestar Center

https://lodestar.asu.edu/blog/2024/03/10-strategies-show-your-appreciation-your-volunteers

 

A Simple Strategy for Volunteer Appreciation and Retention – NonProfit PRO

https://www.nonprofitpro.com/article/a-simple-strategy-to-volunteer-appreciation-and-retention/

 

10 Free Ways to Show Volunteer Appreciation – UServeUtah

https://userve.utah.gov/10-free-ways-to-show-volunteer-appreciation/