How Nonprofits Use Gift Cards for Volunteer Recognition

Many nonprofits utilize gift cards as recognition and incentives for donors, staff, volunteers, and the strategic partners that keep them afloat. Some nonprofits are charities or service organizations; all with tight budgets. However, regardless of budget, incentives play an important role in motivating constituencies to maintain the critical behaviors that keep the nonprofit working and alive. Corporations regularly utilize incentives as good business practice and the nonprofits that follow suite find great rewards. They remain top of mind for the people they need most. One 501c3 organization that responded to GCP’s Gift Card Usage Survey, advocates for physically and mentally challenged adults, and they offer gift cards to employees as workplace incentives and as holiday gifts. They stated, “Our employees are very passionate about the work that they do providing support for individuals with
disabilities, so it is nice to be able to provide a little incentive for them.” The Points of Light Institute states that National Volunteer Week is about “inspiring, recognizing and encouraging people to seek out imaginative ways to engage in their communities”. How will you continue to inspire and reward your volunteers, donors, and constituencies? Is your nonprofit looking to incent, engage, and reward with volunteer incentives? 
Download our Incentives in the Workplace eBook to learn strategies and real organizations’ stories of how they use gift cards to incent, motivate, recognize and reward volunteers and donors.