Boosting Morale on a Budget: 9 Easy Ways for Nonprofits to Reward Employees

As a nonprofit organization, your budget probably doesn’t allow for big cash bonuses or expensive rewards.  But that doesn’t mean you can’t provide meaningful recognition that incentivizes your MVPs.  In fact, sometimes the “no cost” incentives mean the most to your employees.

Here are nine ideas to help you provide solid recognition to MVPs – on a nonprofit budget.

1. Praise in one on ones.  Employees want to feel that their contributions matter and that someone sees the efforts they put into their jobs.  Calling out an employee’s “extra mile” work, acknowledging milestones and generally praising the everyday contributions they add can be a great way to reward employees – especially for introverts who might not feel comfortable in the spotlight.

2. Praise in staff meetings.  It’s not a secret.  You probably also have employees who yearn for the spotlight.  While praise in their one on ones is good, they’ll feel even more rewarded when you highlight their contributions in public during staff meetings.  Consider building a team kudos section into staff meetings to help build opportunities to highlight achievements and milestones. 

3. Send handwritten notes.  It may seem old-fashioned but the power of a small handwritten note can be significant.  It’s not uncommon for employees to keep them and reread the “kudos” message long after their receipt.  It only takes a few minutes to write a congratulations or thank you message.  But the impact lasts long after it’s sent. 

4. Bring in surprise treats.  Ordering a delivery of donuts, cookies or some other treat for a Friday afternoon can bring a big boost to morale – especially after your team pulls off a big event or meets a significant milestone.  This thoughtful surprise can build team bonding at an inexpensive cost.  The camaraderie built around enjoying surprise treats can help your team feel rewarded and see that their efforts are recognized.

5. Give extra time off.  Rewarding top performers with extra time off can be a smart way to build loyalty within a nonprofit.  Consider an employee who recently finished a big project.  Giving them Friday afternoon off costs your organization nothing.  But those extra “time off” hours can build a world of loyalty.

6. Award work from home days.  Work/life balance can be highly motivating – especially for employees in nonprofit settings.  Recognizing extraordinary efforts with work from home days can be an easy way to reward high performers by giving them the flexibility they may need to handle family situations at no cost to your nonprofit.

7. Prime parking spot.  Awarding a “VIP” parking spot can be a smart way to recognize employees who go above and beyond in their duties.  Be sure to put up a sign that clearly marks the spot as reserved for the VIP employee.  Then make it a priority to rotate the winners of the spot between high performers and more junior employees who exceeded expectations during certain events.  The goal is to build the perception that anyone within the nonprofit – no matter what their job – could win this coveted parking spot.

8. Lunch with leadership.  Especially for lower-level employees, having the opportunity to be heard by senior leadership can be a significant reward.  First, it immediately serves as recognition for their contributions.  Then it allows them to proactively share ideas or insights that might help senior leadership better understand organizational issues or find new ways to approach challenges the nonprofit may be facing.

9. Employee of the month award.  Within a nonprofit, one of the most powerful morale-boosting strategies is recognition.  Building an “Employee of the Month” program can be one of the most successful.  Creating a prominent “Employee of the Month” display on a bulletin board helps show your employees and the people you serve that you’re recognizing the efforts of people who go the extra mile for your organization.

Be sure to prominently name the person who earned the reward.  Display a photo of them.  Include a short paragraph summarizing the reasons they won that month’s recognition.  Much like the VIP parking spot recognition, it’s important to make sure your organization recognizes workers across the spectrum of your nonprofit.

As a nonprofit organization, boosting employee morale on a budget can be a great way to retain top performers and attract new superstars.  If you’d like more ideas for rewarding employees, take advantage of the UST HR Workplace – a full suite of tools powered by Mineral that can help you find even more ways to reward top performers on a budget.  Start your free 60-day trial to access articles and checklists that can help you build a culture of recognition within your nonprofit.

SOURCES:

“From Praise to Profits: The Business Case for Recognition at Work,” workhuman.com, 3/28/23

https://www.workhuman.com/resources/reports-guides/from-praise-to-profits-workhuman-gallup-report/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=2160936&utm_content=7AiiquZKb6mhAzK1ZzWmUp&utm_term=2024_WH_SEM_NB_Consideration_NA_PHR_PROS~employee_morale_program&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiA2oW-BhC2ARIsADSIAWqW88tbH3ij1BQjQUDuXrJkoF0cos6xnT1Gwb5CSsTFjlxOe-2gTuwaArIDEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

“22 Free Employee Recognition Ideas That Actually Work,” selectsoftwarereviews.com, 11/29/24 https://www.selectsoftwarereviews.com/blog/free-employee-recognition-ideas

“5 Budget-Friendly Employee Recognition Ideas,” marketinginnovators.com https://www.marketinginnovators.com/blog/5-budget-friendly-employee-recognition-ideas