If you have volunteers who mean a lot to your chamber, you know how important it is to thank them and make them feel appreciated. However, with tight budgets it can be hard to find an appreciation gift that your volunteers will like and that you will feel comfortable giving.
Recently a chamber professional on the Chamber Facebook page asked:
Fun, small volunteer gifts/tokens of appreciation ($1-$2 price range)….go!
There were a number of cute ideas shared that will brighten your volunteers’ days.

Cheap Gift Ideas for Volunteers
Candy
Candy is inexpensive, and when paired with cute notes of appreciation, will make your volunteers feel good about their efforts. The Robins Regional Chamber matched Extra gum with a note that read, “Thank you for all the <Gum inserted on the card, see the picture for reference> work you do.” They also used Reese’s Pieces and Junior Mints for similar thank you messages.
Lottery Tickets
The Robins Regional Chamber also suggested giving lottery tickets with the cute message of, “We hit the jackpot with you.”
A Handwritten Note
When it comes to appreciation, the more specific the more valuable the thanks. “Thanks for all you do,” is nice but feels like you could say it to anyone. When you write a note that thanks someone for a specific action or task they did for you, it feels much more personalized. When you personalize the message, your volunteers will feel like what they did really made an impression on you.
Cookies
CD sleeves are just the right size for slipping a gourmet cookie in with a thank you message on it or wrap the cookie in cellophane and tie it with a ribbon.
Votive Candles
If you don’t want to give food, take three tea lights, wrap the metal holders in washi tape and wrap them in a stacked set in tulle. Add a message that says “Thank you for letting your light shine. You mean so much to us.”
What do you do for cheap volunteer appreciation gifts? Share your ideas here.
Image credit: April Brooks Bragg, President CEO, Robins Regional Chamber