Recognition

All humans need to be recognized in a meaningful way for their efforts. This helps to build self-esteem and confidence. Recognition and appreciation are closely tied to how important the members or volunteers feel in the time bank. If the time bank coordinators demonstrate appreciation for their work, they are more likely to feel connected to the community and program, and continue their involvement.

Find here our tips&tricks of which you can chose one or more methods to express your recognition towards your members or volunteers. There are action you can take on organizational, settlement, business and international level.

ROLL-DOWN MENU

1. Give badges to the volunteers

- create some badges, drop-pins for the members, even funny ones, that they would love to wear on their shirt, cap or bags 

2. Stars of your time bank:

- post on a wall of your time bank space a big sheet with a table that contains the names and skills of each member from the community; let them evaluate each other with little stars in the table; this way you give more visibility to their competences and services too;

3. Contest between volunteers 

- chose the “Volunteer of the month” in the time bank community by organizing a contest or a marathon of activities for the members; 

4. Certificates

- create a special certificate for your organization that you can hand over to your volunteers on the end of the service, or in case he/she needs a recommendation

5. Youth Pass

- Youth Pass is the international tool of recognition, given ONLY to European Solidarity Corps volunteers on the end of their service time;

6. Fidelity Card system 

- this basically means that after accomplishing a service for a defined number of times, the volunteer gets the next of the same service for free; for example: if you provided massage in the time bank to the members 4 times, you get yours for free;

7. City Pass system

- make a deal with your city hall! Let your most active volunteers enter cultural institutions, festive events, etc. based on the time and work they invest in their city and community;

8. Active Citizen Prize

- in case you have a reciprocally fruitful relation with the leadership of the settlement your time bank works at, find out together, how to assure a prize or a grant as a tool of recognition for your active volunteers;

9. Credit transfer among time banks around the world

- if your volunteer is active in your time bank and collects a certain amount of credits, he/she can use it in another city or country for accessing services necessary during his/her stay; this way your time bank get more active in the intercontinental flow of sharing and caring!