Dining for Women relies heavily on our committed and passionate volunteers, especially the 600+ chapter leaders and co-leaders like you. We simply could not achieve all that we do without our volunteers, and we want every volunteer to know that their contributions are recognized, valued and appreciated.

As DFW raises the standards on all aspects of our organization, recognition of our most valuable assets, our volunteers, is an urgent priority. With our large and growing volunteer base, we need a more standardized approach to ensure that ALL volunteers are recognized in a manner that is consistent across our organization.

Last year, we put together a committee, chaired by Mary Liz Jones, a long-time member, Chapter Leader and former Regional Leader in the Mid-Atlantic region. The committee also included members and volunteers from across DFW. The committee has worked very hard over recent months to develop a comprehensive plan: one that is based on DFW’s core values — collaboration, education, inspiration and transformation – as well as nonprofit industry best practices.

The plan demonstrates DFW’s appreciation for the time and effort that ALL volunteers put into Dining for Women, whether you are a Chapter Leader or Co-Leader, a meeting host or presenter, a Mentor, Regional Leader, Board or committee member. This comprehensive plan will now be implemented in phases over the next few years.

A key focus this year will be on recognizing chapter milestones. As we have done in the past, we will continue to send cards and share chapter anniversaries in The Dish. We will also recognize five and 10 year anniversaries with a chapter gift, phone call and/or visit. We understand the dedication and effort it takes – by Chapter Leaders, Co-Leaders, and members – to keep a chapter active and vibrant, and we want to celebrate these key milestones with you!

As a Chapter Leader, you also have a role to play in recognizing the volunteers that help you manage your chapter. Recognizing their efforts and showing your appreciation will help retain and motivate your members. Here are a few ideas used by DFW chapters:

• After each chapter meeting, send personal thank you notes to your host and presenter.
• Arrange a special celebration for your chapter’s anniversary month – it’s a great way to make that month’s meeting special and to thank everyone who has contributed to your chapter’s success that year.
• Take a group photo on your chapter’s anniversary and email it to media@togetherwomenrise.org for publication in The Dish.
• Send welcome emails to new members – thank them for attending and encourage them to come again.
• Verbally thank volunteers at chapter meetings.

Our hope is that you as a chapter leader know how much Dining for Women appreciates your commitment to keeping your chapter vibrant. Thank YOU, for being an integral part of Dining for Women, and for being the voice of DFW in your local community. We appreciate you!