Tangible Reinforcers
Social reinforcers are free, simple, and effective. However, there are times when you might want to give a volunteer a little something extra. Tangible rewards can be powerful reinforcers because they remind the volunteer over and over again that they matter to the organization.
Don't assume that what would be rewarding to you is rewarding to others. Some people like amusement parks, others like opera. Some like fast food, others are vegetarian. Some people crave time off, others want recognition. You get the picture. Instead of spending money and energy into getting something that your volunteers won’t like, give them a short Reinforcer Survey and find out what they want. Here are some items you can include on the survey:
- Favorite Snack (great for just having a fishbowl of candies for volunteers to snack on when they sign out at the end of the day)
- Favorite Hobbies (do they like music? Movies? Sports? Reading? Theater? You can get a gift certificate at a store/company that features a similar product.)
- I would not enjoy receiving… (People might not always respond to this one, but when they do, it can be very useful.)
When choosing a reinforcer, keep the following questions in mind:
- Is the potential reinforcer readily available?
- Can it be used frequently? People will satiate, or get tired of, reinforcers sooner or later. Try to pick a reinforcer that you can give several times before switching.
- Is it cost effective? Are you getting more out of your volunteers than you are giving them through tangible reinforcers?
- Is it within your control? Do you have the power to make it possible? Do not promise volunteers a certain reinforcer unless you know you can give it to them.
Some “reinforcers” commonly given by nonprofit organizations are not particularly rewarding. Giving volunteer buttons for a special event is fine, but since most people don’t wear buttons regularly, this should not be considered a gift. A t-shirt might be reinforcing the first time, but if you give volunteers t-shirts year after year, they will soon become meaningless. The same might be true of caps, mugs, folders, etc. These can all be good reinforcers, but should probably not be used frequently. Calendars can be nice, but most people get many more than they know what to do with towards the end of each year.
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