Open Forum

Hello!

We are searching for cost effective, but also worthwhile perks to offer our volunteers. We are a small museum and our docents and other volunteers often do the work of a paid employee. 

We have been toying with percentages off in the gift store, free/discounted space rentals, etc., but I'm wondering what other people offer their volunteers for all their hours of dedicated hard work. 

Thanks for your input!

------------------------------
Abigail Russell
Program Coordinator
SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention
Bellingham, WA
------------------------------

Original Message------

Hello!

We are searching for cost effective, but also worthwhile perks to offer our volunteers. We are a small museum and our docents and other volunteers often do the work of a paid employee. 

We have been toying with percentages off in the gift store, free/discounted space rentals, etc., but I'm wondering what other people offer their volunteers for all their hours of dedicated hard work. 

Thanks for your input!

------------------------------
Abigail Russell
Program Coordinator
SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention
Bellingham, WA
------------------------------

Abigail

We also have our annual Volunteer & Intern Appreciation event each year recognizing the dedication and commitment of our volunteers which include a recognition ceremony and reception.  We also provide a 10% discount to all volunteers in our gift shop and cafe.  The other perk our volunteers have is that most museums recognize their volunteer badge and they normally get into museums free of charge including overseas.  We also provide at a very low cost a 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25-year certificate each year.  This year we provided almost 15 certificates to our volunteers who have volunteered for 25 years! These are just a couple of options you might want to consider. The reception, of course, is the most expensive, but at a small museum, the cost might not be as much.  Dana


------------------------------
Dana Carroll
Director of Museum Services
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
Washington DC
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 09-27-2018 04:46 PM
From: Abigail Russell
Subject: Volunteer appreciation/perks

Hello!

We are searching for cost effective, but also worthwhile perks to offer our volunteers. We are a small museum and our docents and other volunteers often do the work of a paid employee.

We have been toying with percentages off in the gift store, free/discounted space rentals, etc., but I'm wondering what other people offer their volunteers for all their hours of dedicated hard work.

Thanks for your input!

------------------------------
Abigail Russell
Program Coordinator
SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention
Bellingham, WA
------------------------------

WE give our Volunteers and Docents a 20% discount on membership to the Museum, And even if they are not members they receive a 10% discount in our gift shop, another gift shop on our campus and at the Warm Puppy Cafe at the Redwood Empire Ice Arena, Snoopy's Home ice.

We honor them at a high-end luncheon in the Spring and we do intermittent movie nights just for volunteers and their friends or families, in our auditorium/theater. We do field trips to other museums and cultural centers, try to host an annual FUN and DIFFERENT event, such as our Pot Luck BBQ lat summer, a "Friends of Snoopy Holiday Party where we collect items for our local animal shelter and donate them in Snoopy's name, and we have many fun incentives like pins, medals, patches and lanyards that volunteers can "win" to enhance their volunteer uniform "yellow vest".

The volunteers love collecting "bling" for their uniforms and visitors often ask to take pictures with them because of their uniqueness! The vests become a fun springboard to conversation with visitors too!

------------------------------
Kristi Lucas-Hayden
Volunteer Director
Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center
Santa Rosa CA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 09-27-2018 04:46 PM
From: Abigail Russell
Subject: Volunteer appreciation/perks

Hello!

We are searching for cost effective, but also worthwhile perks to offer our volunteers. We are a small museum and our docents and other volunteers often do the work of a paid employee.

We have been toying with percentages off in the gift store, free/discounted space rentals, etc., but I'm wondering what other people offer their volunteers for all their hours of dedicated hard work.

Thanks for your input!

------------------------------
Abigail Russell
Program Coordinator
SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention
Bellingham, WA
------------------------------

We're also a small museum where volunteers do the work of paid staff, but we don't have memberships or a shop to give discounts.  While they do like chocolate or getting flowers on special occasions, our volunteers value most the knowledge that they are doing useful work (so I tell them how it fits in and how it wouldn't get done without them).  They also value being listened to and taken seriously about their work and the organization.  The social aspects of volunteering are nice, but they can find that somewhere else too.  Basically, people like to feel that they matter.

------------------------------
Michele Lyons
Curator
Stetten Museum of Medical Research NIH
Bethesda MD
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 09-28-2018 06:02 PM
From: Kristi Lucas-Hayden
Subject: Volunteer appreciation/perks

WE give our Volunteers and Docents a 20% discount on membership to the Museum, And even if they are not members they receive a 10% discount in our gift shop, another gift shop on our campus and at the Warm Puppy Cafe at the Redwood Empire Ice Arena, Snoopy's Home ice.

We honor them at a high-end luncheon in the Spring and we do intermittent movie nights just for volunteers and their friends or families, in our auditorium/theater. We do field trips to other museums and cultural centers, try to host an annual FUN and DIFFERENT event, such as our Pot Luck BBQ lat summer, a "Friends of Snoopy Holiday Party where we collect items for our local animal shelter and donate them in Snoopy's name, and we have many fun incentives like pins, medals, patches and lanyards that volunteers can "win" to enhance their volunteer uniform "yellow vest".

The volunteers love collecting "bling" for their uniforms and visitors often ask to take pictures with them because of their uniqueness! The vests become a fun springboard to conversation with visitors too!

------------------------------
Kristi Lucas-Hayden
Volunteer Director
Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center
Santa Rosa CA

Original Message:
Sent: 09-27-2018 04:46 PM
From: Abigail Russell
Subject: Volunteer appreciation/perks

Hello!

We are searching for cost effective, but also worthwhile perks to offer our volunteers. We are a small museum and our docents and other volunteers often do the work of a paid employee.

We have been toying with percentages off in the gift store, free/discounted space rentals, etc., but I'm wondering what other people offer their volunteers for all their hours of dedicated hard work.

Thanks for your input!

------------------------------
Abigail Russell
Program Coordinator
SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention
Bellingham, WA
------------------------------

Below is a list of Guide and Greeter benefits we offer our volunteers at Vizcaya Museum and Gardens

Benefits for Active Guides and Greeters 

1. Guides and Greeters become Guide Members of the museum once their annual dues are paid. This status affords each Guide the benefits of individual membership such as membership pricing to programs and special events along with all other benefits listed below. Guides may bring one guest along to any public program at the membership price for that guest. 

2. Staff members will support the efforts of volunteers and strive to provide appropriate training and opportunities for enrichment. 

3. Discounts on select Vizcaya public programs. 

4. Café and Shop offer 1 free coffee and 1 free coffee per volunteer shift(as determined by their management and subject to change at their discretion). 

5. Vizcaya Greeters and Guides have access to use the Florida Attraction Share Program (FAASP) up to 1 times per month. The FAASP allows Volunteer Guides and 3 guests' free access, or greatly reduced admission to selected Florida area attractions. When using the FAASP letters, you may only visit the same attraction one time per month. The FAASP letter is available from the Learning Division Administrative Assistant, during regular working hours 12:30pm to 4:30pm, Monday through Friday, at the Learning Division Suite. 

6. Free admission to Vizcaya for up to four (4) guests per visit, per day, provided the Volunteer is present and identifies her/himself to the Ticket Booth Attendant (unlimited visits during the Guiding Cycle). Please note – if you are inviting guests to meet you at Vizcaya, you must be present at the Ticket Booth to identify them and escort them. Ticket Booth staff cannot grant complimentary admission to your guests if you are not at the Ticket Booth to identify and escort your guest(s). 

7. Free admission to GIT or GGIT for up to four (4) guests per time slot provided the Volunteer is present and identifies her/himself to the Ticket Booth Attendant. Guests are required to wear wristbands to participate in tour. 

8. Free Audio Tours for up to four (4) guests provided the Volunteer is present and identifies her/himself to the Ticket Booth Attendant.
9. One (1) full-time Learning Division staff member dedicated to the Volunteer Guides Program. 

10. Access to a current Directory listing all Vizcaya Volunteer Guides, Greeters and Key Staff Members. 

11. Free use of meeting spaces (for Guides activities) and AV equipment set-up for same when available and arranged in advance. To inquire about the availability of meeting space on Vizcaya property, please contact the Adult Learning and Engagement Manager.
12. Administrative support for production of the Guides' Newsletter. 

13. Opportunities to join fellow Guides on field excursions arranged on occasion by members of the Volunteer corps. Participants are responsible for any costs associated with such opportunities.

14. Annual Fall Reception
15. Annual Holiday Reception
16. Annual Spring Reception

------------------------------
Mark Osterman, Ed.D.
Adult Learning and Engagement Manager
Vizcaya Museum and Gardens
Miami, FL 33141
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 10-01-2018 07:03 AM
From: Michele Lyons
Subject: Volunteer appreciation/perks

We're also a small museum where volunteers do the work of paid staff, but we don't have memberships or a shop to give discounts.  While they do like chocolate or getting flowers on special occasions, our volunteers value most the knowledge that they are doing useful work (so I tell them how it fits in and how it wouldn't get done without them).  They also value being listened to and taken seriously about their work and the organization.  The social aspects of volunteering are nice, but they can find that somewhere else too.  Basically, people like to feel that they matter.

------------------------------
Michele Lyons
Curator
Stetten Museum of Medical Research NIH
Bethesda MD

Original Message:
Sent: 09-28-2018 06:02 PM
From: Kristi Lucas-Hayden
Subject: Volunteer appreciation/perks

WE give our Volunteers and Docents a 20% discount on membership to the Museum, And even if they are not members they receive a 10% discount in our gift shop, another gift shop on our campus and at the Warm Puppy Cafe at the Redwood Empire Ice Arena, Snoopy's Home ice.

We honor them at a high-end luncheon in the Spring and we do intermittent movie nights just for volunteers and their friends or families, in our auditorium/theater. We do field trips to other museums and cultural centers, try to host an annual FUN and DIFFERENT event, such as our Pot Luck BBQ lat summer, a "Friends of Snoopy Holiday Party where we collect items for our local animal shelter and donate them in Snoopy's name, and we have many fun incentives like pins, medals, patches and lanyards that volunteers can "win" to enhance their volunteer uniform "yellow vest".

The volunteers love collecting "bling" for their uniforms and visitors often ask to take pictures with them because of their uniqueness! The vests become a fun springboard to conversation with visitors too!

------------------------------
Kristi Lucas-Hayden
Volunteer Director
Charles M. Schulz Museum and Research Center
Santa Rosa CA

Original Message:
Sent: 09-27-2018 04:46 PM
From: Abigail Russell
Subject: Volunteer appreciation/perks

Hello!

We are searching for cost effective, but also worthwhile perks to offer our volunteers. We are a small museum and our docents and other volunteers often do the work of a paid employee.

We have been toying with percentages off in the gift store, free/discounted space rentals, etc., but I'm wondering what other people offer their volunteers for all their hours of dedicated hard work.

Thanks for your input!

------------------------------
Abigail Russell
Program Coordinator
SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention
Bellingham, WA
------------------------------

Hello!

Our volunteers get the following perks:

1. Discount at the gift store and on-site restaurant
2. We hold 2 dinners for just volunteers throughout the year (Spring and Christmas time)
3. We also have a few scattered events throughout the year (e.g. a local minor-league baseball game outing, a volunteer cook book published, etc.).
4. They're invited to our Night at the Museum events as well.

Good luck!

Marc

------------------------------
Marc Levitt MLS
Archivist
National Naval Aviation Museum
NAS Pensacola FL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 09-27-2018 04:46 PM
From: Abigail Russell
Subject: Volunteer appreciation/perks

Hello!

We are searching for cost effective, but also worthwhile perks to offer our volunteers. We are a small museum and our docents and other volunteers often do the work of a paid employee.

We have been toying with percentages off in the gift store, free/discounted space rentals, etc., but I'm wondering what other people offer their volunteers for all their hours of dedicated hard work.

Thanks for your input!

------------------------------
Abigail Russell
Program Coordinator
SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention
Bellingham, WA
------------------------------

We run our "Naturalist at Heart" volunteer program, marketing it for folks who love nature and the outdoors. That's easy since we're a state park, but we have a large interpretive center with exhibits (about $6.5 million spent in the last 3 years upgrading everything) and we have plenty of indoor needs for volunteers. The Naturalist at Heart program is centered around education - we offer classes on topics related (some tenuously) to our park - and over the course of two years, some 35 different classes may be held before they are repeated. Volunteers love them - and attendance is a tool for their advancement in the program from 'Learner' level to 'Leader' and finally 'Innovator.' (Used to be levels 1, 2 and 3.) Some strive to reach the highest level as quickly as possible - they put in a lot of hours!

Other perks: We have an annual recognition night with awards for amount of volunteering both in a year and cumulative. We offer some targeted awards, too. We have picnics / cookouts, movie night, research days where we visit other parks and museums to learn how they do things, special volunteer shirts, free admission to Foundation and park special events, and more. These keep volunteers excited about helping us. Sure, we have the same retention issues as everyone one else, but the core of 'Hearts' as we call them are very dependable.

------------------------------
Alan Goldstein
Interpretive Naturalist, CIP
Falls of the Ohio State Park / Interpretive Center
Clarksville IN
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 09-27-2018 04:46 PM
From: Abigail Russell
Subject: Volunteer appreciation/perks

Hello!

We are searching for cost effective, but also worthwhile perks to offer our volunteers. We are a small museum and our docents and other volunteers often do the work of a paid employee.

We have been toying with percentages off in the gift store, free/discounted space rentals, etc., but I'm wondering what other people offer their volunteers for all their hours of dedicated hard work.

Thanks for your input!

------------------------------
Abigail Russell
Program Coordinator
SPARK Museum of Electrical Invention
Bellingham, WA
------------------------------