Whether it’s working on home construction for Habitat for Humanity or helping kids read at a local elementary school, volunteers make the difference. Be sure to recognize the contributions and accomplishments of your volunteers this year during National Volunteer Appreciation Week April 10-16.

Our customers have found the use of recognition themes to effectively express appreciation for their volunteers. Some customers host volunteer appreciation events like luncheons and award ceremonies, and others may have more informal gatherings in someone’s home. Regardless of the location or type of recognition, using a recognition theme can make the appreciation more memorable.

Baudville has more than 100 recognition themes in its repertoire, but our customers have clearly made the following 10 their favorite volunteer appreciation themes. Which one will you use for National Volunteer Appreciation Week ?

1. Essential Piece. A classic recognition theme, this theme's sentiment, "can't imagine us without you," will help you to convey the value of each volunteer. 

2. Making a Difference. One of the most popular themes for National Volunteer Appreciation Week,  the inspirational story that accompanies this theme is perfect for recognizing the impact of volunteers.

3. A Helping Hand. We just released **new products** in this favorite theme!

4. Making the Difference. Focus on the impact of your volunteers. Share stories of exceptional volunteer work when you have the entire group together.

5. Thanks For All You Do! Keep your message simple during National Volunteer Appreciation Week and just say thanks!

6. You Are Truly Appreciated. The objective of National Volunteer Appreciation Week is expressing appreciation to your volunteers. This theme keeps your message simple and effective!

7. You Make a World of Difference! I once attended a volunteer appreciation reception with this theme. The volunteers were given globe stress toys, and the tables were decorated in green blue. It was a lot of fun and - obviously - very memorable!

8. Together We Can Make a Difference. Recognize teams of volunteers during National Volunteer Appreciation Week, too. 

9. Imagine Believe Achieve. Inspire your volunteers with this motivational recognition theme. 

10. Volunteers Make the Difference. Volunteers are proud to be volunteers, so recognize their special role in your organization with this Character Pin!

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook. 

Employee Appreciation Day is coming up Friday, March 4. In our experience, using an Employee Appreciation Day theme is a surefire way to put on a fun and memorable day for your employees. The last few Employee Appreciation Days at Baudville have had drastically different themes.

In 2008, we gave every employee small gift boxes of cashews. Our theme was “we’re nuts about you!”

In 2009, we enacted our own Employee Stimulus Package. The package included breakfast and a casual day for every employee!

In 2010, we hosted our very own Winter Olympic games. You can see all the pictures and videos on our Facebook page.

For an Employee Appreciation Day theme to be effective, it should express appreciation and coordinate with any events, activities or gifts you have planned. Here a few ideas for 2011:

Employee Appreciation Day Theme Ideas

Tropical Escape – Break out of the winter blues with a tropical Employee Appreciation Day theme. The Baudville Making a Difference Starfish theme can help tie everything together. Place an image of a starfish on all your emails and newsletters about Employee Appreciation Day. Host a luau and serve fresh fruit, smoothies, and pulled pork sandwiches. Have a limbo contest and vote on the craziest Hawaiian shirt!

Hollywood or Bust – Employee Appreciation Day is on the heels of the Oscars this year, so continue the glamour at your organization. Roll out the red carpet for employees and express your appreciation with a gift from our new Star Performer theme. Serve popcorn and give each employee their own personalized star tile.

Community Involvement – If your organization is active in the community, Together We Can Make a Difference is the Employee Appreciation Day theme for you. Center all your activities on community involvement. You can host a blood drive or collect can goods for a food pantry. If you can get out of the office, spend the day volunteering for a local charity. At the end of the day, give each employee a Character Pin to recognize their contributions both in and out of the office.

Customized Olympic Games – Our Olympic games were such a hit with employees, some even called it the best Employee Appreciation Day ever! You can use this Employee Appreciation Day theme, too, with the help of our World’s Greatest Team theme. Create your own competitions and ward every employee with a button for their participation. Some of our games included ID card toss, rubber band shooting, and office chair luge.

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Cori is Baudville's in-house Recognitionista (she's officially a Certified Recognition Professional, too)  and a member of the Millennial generation. Get her employee recognition tips and special discounts by liking Baudville on Facebook.

I’m not going to tell you that it’s all fun & games up here in creative-ville, but every once in awhile, we do get to have a laugh. We certainly did when we were working on the new Positive Praise recognition theme. The Goofy Guy Squeezable Praise became everyone’s favorite new projectile and the Goofy Guy Pens were the perfect remedy whenever things started to get a little too tense.

Having fun at work not only lowers stress and improves morale, it can also increase productivity. I’ve see it first hand in our department, but this WorldatWork article does a great job of backing me up as well.  

If you need to have more fun in your office, our Positive Praise theme is an excellent place to start. Maybe you took the quiz in that link I just posted. If so, let’s see how you scored.

If you answered mostly no, I’m afraid your situation is pretty grave. You’re going to need to take serious measures to increase employee morale. For this, I prescribe:

Totally Wacky

   

In your next meeting, toss the Goofy Guy to someone who has a great idea or suggestion. It will lighten the mood, plus the “woo-hoo” sentiment on the back is perfect on-the-spot praise. The talking and bobble-head pens are another way to lift spirits. It’s pretty hard to scowl with one of these grinning back at you.

If you were about 50-50, then you need:

A Little Bit of Silly

   

These notepads come with a smiley-face pen for a lighthearted yet useful reward. The Appreciation Gift Sets feature a sweet treat for your team members to enjoy now, plus a fun keychain they can use every day. 

If you answered mostly yes, then you’re in good shape. You just need some:

Everyday Fun

  

Both the Pocket Praise and Cheers Kit in this fun theme have brightly-colored notes and great sentiments for day-to-day recognition. They’re just what you need to keep up the momentum!

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Allison is Baudville’s one (and only) Copywriter. She’s been writing for a variety of media for more than nine years, so if she tells you she has been there and done that, she probably has. Before embarking on a career in writing, Allison worked as a department manager where she used Baudville products to motivate her team. She’s what we call a true believer!

Almost a year ago to this day, I woke up at 5:00 in the morning in more pain than I’ve ever felt in my life. As I writhed and cursed the black bean burrito I’d eaten the night before, it became evident that I was headed to the emergency room.

A few hours later, I was basking in the bright, sterile glow that comes after three IV injections of painkiller and the peace of mind that there was nothing serious wrong with me.

It was in this lucid state, with nurses, doctors, and technicians all bustling around me that I had the foresight to ask someone what the hospital was planning to do for National Nurses Week. I wished for pen and paper and braced myself for the onslaught of useful information I would receive that I could share with my coworkers when I returned to work. Instead, what I heard was, “nothing, really.”

What?!

I couldn’t have been more shocked. Had it not been for the expert and attentive care of these professionals, I would…well, I don’t know what I would have done. I was in remarkable pain. And they took care of me with concern, immediacy, and total effectiveness. At the time it seemed like a miracle. And, therefore, a travesty that these individuals would not receive recognition during a week dedicated solely to them.   

Every day, people like me (and those much worse off) rely on nurses and healthcare professionals to make it all better. And very often they do, or certainly do everything in their power to. And the most amazing part is that they often do so after a double shift or while doing five other things at once—all while employing the educated and critical mind required to deal with life or death situations.

Nursing is often called a thankless profession. I can’t think of a better time than National Nurses Week—coming up May 6-12—to turn that around!

Just in time, we’ve designed an all new theme that makes it easy (and affordable!) to thank these compassionate and dedicated individuals.

On-the-go medical professionals will appreciate these useful gifts that give them a constant reminder of your gratitude! Check out the entire collection here.

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Allison is Baudville’s one (and only) Copywriter. She’s been writing for a variety of media for more than nine years, so if she tells you she has been there and done that, she probably has. Before embarking on a career in writing, Allison worked as a department manager where she used Baudville products to motivate her team. She’s what we call a true believer!

Today is National High Five Day and, without a doubt, this is a Baudville kind of holiday. We’re all about incorporating easy recognition into our daily lives and bringing that same idea to life in many of our products as well.  
 
Many companies approach the concept of employee recognition with some trepidation, fearing that it will be a complicated, time consuming, and expensive undertaking. But imagine if it were as easy as giving a high five. Or, a “proverbial” high five.

We designed our new Great Job theme with simple gestures of appreciation in mind, because we know that if recognition is straightforward and easy, it can be as natural as a pat on the back, a fist bump, or a thumbs up from across the room.

This is where the flagship of our Great Job theme, the Cheers Kit™, comes in. It’s packed with five different recognition notes (40 in all, actually), each with a keepsake element and a simple, universal message.

Keep this kit on hand, and in a matter of seconds, you can give a sincere expression of appreciation with an impact that lasts way beyond the initial gesture. All for about $1.00 per note.   

Recognition that’s easy, quick, and cheap? I’ll give that a high five!

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Allison is Baudville’s one (and only) Copywriter. She’s been writing for a variety of media for more than eight years, so if she tells you she has been there and done that, she probably has. Before embarking on a career in writing, Allison worked as a department manager where she used Baudville products to motivate her team. She’s what we call a true believer!