{"id":1595,"date":"2024-12-12T21:18:55","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T21:18:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wildapricot.wpengine.com\/?p=1595"},"modified":"2025-05-12T05:29:30","modified_gmt":"2025-05-12T05:29:30","slug":"national-volunteer-month","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wildapricot.com\/blog\/national-volunteer-month","title":{"rendered":"How to Celebrate National Volunteer Month"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cVolunteers are the heart of our organization!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cVolunteers are the backbone of what we do!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe couldn\u2019t do it without you, volunteers!\u201d<\/p>\n

Sometimes it seems like everything being said about the role of volunteers at nonprofits is clich\u00e9, but…it\u2019s also true.<\/p>\n

Without volunteers donating their time and passion to the causes they care about, most nonprofits would be sunk. Paid staff to tutor every kid, clean up every park, and foster every shelter dog? Impossible! Volunteers make it happen. That\u2019s why every April, we take the time to celebrate volunteers and volunteering with National Volunteer Month and National Volunteer Week.<\/p>\n

When is National Volunteer Month?<\/h2>\n

National Volunteer Month<\/a> is held in April. It\u2019s a month dedicated to promoting and celebrating volunteerism. Nonprofits often have special projects or volunteer appreciation events during this time.<\/p>\n

When is National Volunteer Week?<\/h2>\n

In 2025, National Volunteer Week<\/a> will be April 20-26 in Canada and the United States.<\/p>\n

Since When?<\/h2>\n

National Volunteer Month and Week aren\u2019t new. Canada led the way by celebrating National Volunteer Week in 1943 to recognize the contributions of women on the Home Front during World War II. Celebrations dropped off after the war, and then interest resurged in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The April week of recognition was made official in 1990.<\/p>\n

National Volunteer Week debuted in the United States in 1974 and has continued to grow every year since. In his proclamation declaring National Volunteer Week, President Richard Nixon urged all Americans to observe the week by seeking out a volunteer opportunity. He also called upon all communities to \u201crecognize volunteers by observing the week with special ceremonies to honor those who have given countless hours for the betterment of our communities and the American way of life.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since then, individuals, offices, schools, and teams volunteer their time on this week to make their communities better.<\/p>\n

How to Celebrate National Volunteer Week and Month<\/h2>\n

National Volunteer Week and Month are great opportunities to get all your volunteers together and launch efforts to recruit new ones.<\/p>\n

Celebrating National Volunteer Week and Month has evolved over the past couple of years, making virtual recognition efforts more popular than ever.<\/p>\n

Volunteer events and appreciation<\/a> are done across all platforms and channels. From social media challenges and thank-you emails to large scale awards ceremonies and community beautification projects – there’s a way for everyone to get involved.<\/p>\n

Even if your organization has a smaller budget or staff, you can still recognize and engage your volunteers<\/a>. Keep things simple with a spotlight on your website or dedicated email to your subscribers about how wonderful your volunteers are.<\/p>\n

There are plenty of ways to show volunteers you appreciate them, consider:<\/p>\n

Ideas to Show Volunteer Appreciation<\/h3>\n