Volunteer incentives help two organizations rally support

Promo products can spark interest, then spread the word

By Carrie Kramer

Suthers Center volunteerism bounces back

Like many aspects of life, volunteerism changed dramatically during the COVID-19 pandemic. Formal volunteering—the helping of others through organizations like nonprofits or food banks—dropped from 30% in 2019 to 24% in 2021 opens in new window. As communities recovered, many organizations took on the challenge of rebuilding their volunteer bases through hard work and creative thinking. Suthers Center for Christian Outreach opens in new window and Destiny Bound Inc. opens in new window are two customers that embraced the power of volunteer incentives to rejuvenate community support.

Sparking support after a big change

The mission of Suthers Center for Christian Outreach is simple. As the primary outreach entity for St. Martin in the Fields Episcopal Church in Atlanta, it strives to “give what we have and do all we are able to do.” What it’s been able to do for years is assemble teams of volunteers to help in the community. This includes the HATS program that helps find housing for families and individuals, a part of volunteering that goes beyond providing shelter and food to community members in need.

Each Saturday, upward of 25 volunteers run a two-hour food distribution program. Using a drive-through concept, they provide bags of healthy groceries to between 800 and 900 individuals or groups. To prepare for distribution day, supporters transport more than 4 tons of food from the Atlanta Community Food Bank to the church grounds.

It hasn’t always been this way. Before the pandemic, the food program and other community service activities were carried out at a separate location. When COVID hit, operations moved to St. Martin in the Fields, and the pantry adopted the drive-through method of food distribution. It became an efficient strategy well after social distancing was a priority, and now each year about 300 volunteers help Suthers Center with its food program and other projects.

The transition to a drive-through also opened new opportunities for volunteers. These team members now help guide parking lot traffic and keep the pickups running smoothly. Mary Jo Sibbald, executive director, bought caps to make the volunteers easier to spot during the early-morning pickups. They’re also a token of gratitude for donating their time.

“The white hats are great because it makes the volunteers easier to see and identify for anyone who has a question or needs help,” she said. “The volunteers like them, and I’ve seen people wearing them all over the community.”

Thanks in part to creative strategies like these to re-engage local volunteers, the rebound in community involvement across the United States is apparent. From 2021 to 2023, formal volunteering bounced back more than 5%, the largest two-year increase since tracking began. And informal volunteering among Americans—simple actions like running errands for or lending tools to friends and neighbors—has surpassed 2019 levels. More than 54% of Americans opens in new window helped others informally in 2023.

From 2021 to 2023, formal volunteering bounced back more than 5%, the largest two-year increase since tracking began.
Source: United States Census Bureau^® opens in new window

Destiny Bound builds its base with gratitude

Encouraging others to share the love

Another organization successfully using volunteer incentives to aid in recruitment is Destiny Bound. The New York City nonprofit helps families through mentorship programs and by distributing essentials like food, diapers, socks and school supplies.

Janice Easter, president and co-founder, said with zero paid employees, volunteers empower Destiny Bound’s projects. A six-person board of directors plus community partners and helpers make it all happen— from packaging and distributing goods to loading trucks and registering individuals and families. All that work means attracting and retaining volunteers is critical. “Many hands makes the load light,” Easter said.

Destiny Bound, launched in 2019, worked hard to build a base of volunteers when the pandemic began. During that time, focus shifted to helping provide personal protective equipment, like masks and sanitizer, to community members. Like many other organizations, Destiny Bound found 2020 and 2021 challenging for volunteer recruitment.

Years later, the organization is still working to raise awareness and add to its team of supporters. One success came last summer at its annual Operation Community Investment event, where school supplies, hygiene items and other goods are distributed. Each of the 40-plus volunteers were given two tote bags. One included personal care items, like hand lotion, foot cream, sanitizer and socks, and a personalized thank-you letter.

The second bag was for the volunteer to pass to somebody they knew who might be interested in supporting Destiny Bound. It contained a letter addressed to a potential volunteer and details about how to get involved. The hope was that a hand-delivered referral from a friend would make a difference in filling the need. And it worked. “It was a great initiative,” Easter said. “Volunteers shared the second tote bags with others and in turn they reached out to us, eager to volunteer.” Volunteers are the heart of Destiny Bound, helping to bridge gaps, uplift communities and create lasting change.

All for the greater good

The hard work of business and community leaders, marketers and others can keep the momentum going. Volunteerism, after all, helps people connect opens in new window with a deeper sense of purpose. It can fill a void in people’s lives, reaffirm their humanity and remind them how everyone is connected.

Suthers Center and Destiny Bound share a desire to make a difference in their communities. And to make a more meaningful impact, both have found creative ways to engage with their audiences and gain support with help from volunteer incentives.

Other Information