Do you know someone who gives their time, energy, kindness, leadership, or skills to help others?
Nominating a volunteer for an award is a meaningful way to say, “Your service matters.” Volunteers often work quietly behind the scenes. They organize events, mentor students, support nonprofits, deliver supplies, advocate for causes, care for others, clean up communities, lead projects, and show up when help is needed.
A thoughtful nomination helps tell their story.
The Global Volunteer Recognition Program™ offers several ways to recognize volunteers, including the Community Champion Spotlight, Global Volunteer Awards, Volunteer Achievement Badges, and the Global Student Citizenship & Service Award.
This guide explains how to write a strong volunteer award nomination and what details to include.
What Is a Volunteer Award Nomination?
A volunteer award nomination is a written submission that recommends someone for recognition based on their service, leadership, character, or community impact.
A strong nomination usually explains:
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Who the volunteer is
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What they did
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Who they helped
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Why their service matters
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How their work made a difference
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What makes them stand out
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How they demonstrate leadership, kindness, or dedication
The goal is not to write something overly fancy. The goal is to be clear, specific, and honest.
Who Can Be Nominated for a Volunteer Award?
Volunteer award eligibility depends on the specific program. In general, nominees may include people who give their time, skills, or support to help others.
A volunteer nominee may be:
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A student volunteer
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An adult volunteer
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A caregiver
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An educator
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A nonprofit volunteer
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A pageant titleholder
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A community leader
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A youth leader
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A mentor
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A service club member
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A faith-based volunteer
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A remote volunteer
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A family volunteer
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Someone who quietly helps others without formal recognition
The Community Champion Spotlight is especially flexible because nominations are free, self-nominations are welcome, and nominees do not need to be GVRP members.
Step 1: Start With the Volunteer’s Basic Information
Before writing the nomination, gather the basic details.
Helpful information may include:
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Nominee’s full name
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City, state, or country
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School, organization, or community connection
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Volunteer role or type of service
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Cause or community served
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Dates or approximate service period
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Number of hours, if known
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Nominator contact information
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Photos, if allowed
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Links to projects, features, or organization pages, if available
You do not need a perfect record to submit many nominations, but specific details make the nomination stronger.
Step 2: Explain What the Volunteer Did
The strongest nominations clearly describe the volunteer’s actions.
Instead of writing:
“She is a great volunteer.”
Write:
“She organized a monthly donation drive for families in need, collected hygiene items and school supplies, coordinated volunteers, and helped deliver care packages to a local community center.”
Specific examples help reviewers and readers understand the nominee’s impact.
Details to include:
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What project or service did they complete?
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What role did they play?
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Did they organize, lead, support, mentor, advocate, create, fundraise, or serve?
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Did they volunteer once, regularly, or over many years?
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Did they overcome challenges?
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Did they inspire others to get involved?
Step 3: Describe Who Benefited
Volunteer recognition is stronger when the nomination explains who was helped.
The nominee may have helped:
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Students
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Families
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Seniors
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Veterans
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People experiencing hardship
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Animals
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Schools
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Nonprofits
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Hospitals
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Shelters
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Neighborhoods
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Communities
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Disaster response groups
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Environmental causes
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Advocacy organizations
For example:
“Her project supported more than 75 students by providing backpacks, notebooks, hygiene items, and encouraging notes before the school year began.”
Impact does not always need a number, but numbers help when available.
Step 4: Show Leadership and Character
Volunteer awards often recognize more than hours. They also recognize character, leadership, kindness, responsibility, and commitment.
Describe qualities such as:
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Compassion
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Reliability
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Initiative
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Courage
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Inclusion
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Teamwork
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Creativity
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Advocacy
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Integrity
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Dependability
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Perseverance
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Positive attitude
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Service leadership
For student recognition, this is especially important. The Global Student Citizenship & Service Award recognizes students based on character, citizenship, leadership, volunteer service, responsibility, and positive community impact.
Step 5: Include Service Hours When Available
If the volunteer tracked hours, include them. Service hours can help show consistency and commitment.
Examples:
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“Completed 40 volunteer hours supporting animal rescue events.”
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“Served more than 100 hours with local food distribution programs.”
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“Volunteered monthly throughout the school year.”
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“Led a 6-month awareness campaign supporting mental health resources.”
If exact hours are not available, describe the service pattern:
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“Volunteers every weekend”
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“Serves monthly”
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“Has supported this project for three years”
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“Consistently helps whenever the organization needs support”
Volunteers who want to track hours for future awards can explore the Volunteer Impact Journal & Coloring Book.
Step 6: Explain Why the Nominee Deserves Recognition
This is the heart of the nomination.
Answer questions like:
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Why does this volunteer stand out?
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What would be different without their service?
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How have they helped others feel supported?
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How have they inspired people?
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What makes their service meaningful?
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Why should their story be shared?
Example:
“Jordan deserves recognition because he saw a need in his community and took action. He did not wait for someone else to solve the problem. He organized classmates, contacted local organizations, and created a project that helped families feel supported during a difficult time.”
Step 7: Keep the Nomination Honest and Specific
A nomination does not need to exaggerate. In fact, the most powerful nominations are often simple and sincere.
Avoid vague phrases like:
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“They are amazing.”
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“They help everyone.”
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“They are the best volunteer.”
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“They deserve this more than anyone.”
Use specific examples instead:
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“They helped coordinate 12 volunteers.”
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“They served families through a monthly meal program.”
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“They created handmade cards for hospital patients.”
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“They mentored younger students after school.”
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“They organized a cleanup that removed trash from a local park.”
Specific details build trust.
Volunteer Nomination Example
Here is a simple example you can adapt:
“I would like to nominate Maya for volunteer recognition because she has shown outstanding kindness, leadership, and dedication to helping others. Over the past year, Maya has volunteered with local food drives, helped organize school supply collections, and created encouragement cards for children receiving medical treatment.
Maya does not volunteer for attention. She volunteers because she cares about people. She is dependable, compassionate, and willing to help wherever she is needed. Her service has supported families, students, and community organizations, and she has inspired other young people to get involved.
Maya deserves recognition because her actions show the true spirit of service. She leads with kindness and uses her time to make her community stronger.”
Volunteer Nomination Template
Use this structure:
“I am nominating [Name] for volunteer recognition because [brief reason].
[Name] has served by [describe project, role, or service]. Their work has helped [people, organization, school, cause, or community].
What makes [Name] stand out is [character, leadership, kindness, dedication, consistency, creativity, or impact].
One example of their impact is [specific story or result].
I believe [Name] deserves recognition because [final reason connected to service and community impact].”
How to Nominate Someone for the Community Champion Spotlight
The Community Champion Spotlight is designed to publicly celebrate volunteers and changemakers whose stories deserve to be shared.
This can be a good fit for:
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Local volunteers
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Student volunteers
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Educators
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Nonprofit supporters
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Caregivers
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Advocates
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Pageant titleholders
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Community leaders
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Volunteer coordinators
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People doing quiet acts of service
Nominations are free, and nominees do not need to be GVRP members.
Once approved, nominee stories may be shared online so others can learn about their service and impact. Supporters may also participate through Community Champion Spotlight Support Votes.
What Are Community Support Votes?
Community Support Votes are a way for friends, family members, coworkers, organizations, and supporters to celebrate participating Community Champion Spotlight nominees.
Each support vote helps elevate volunteer stories while supporting GVRP’s broader volunteer recognition mission.
Community Support Voting is optional. A nominee can still be recognized as a Community Champion Spotlight nominee even without promoting votes.
How to Nominate a Student for Recognition
For student recognition, families, teachers, counselors, coaches, homeschool educators, pageant directors, youth leaders, and community members may consider the Global Student Citizenship & Service Award.
A strong student nomination should explain how the student demonstrates:
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Kindness
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Citizenship
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Responsibility
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Volunteer service
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Leadership
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Character
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Initiative
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Community involvement
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Positive impact
This award is helpful for students whose contributions may not be fully reflected through grades, sports, or traditional school awards.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
When writing a volunteer nomination, avoid:
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Being too vague
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Only listing adjectives
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Forgetting to explain impact
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Leaving out the nominee’s role
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Exaggerating accomplishments
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Submitting without proofreading
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Waiting too long to gather details
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Forgetting photos or proof when allowed
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Assuming reviewers already know the nominee’s story
A good nomination helps someone understand the volunteer even if they have never met them.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I nominate a volunteer for an award?
Start by choosing the recognition program, gathering the nominee’s basic information, describing their service, explaining their impact, and submitting the nomination through the appropriate form or product page.
What should I write in a volunteer award nomination?
Write about what the volunteer did, who they helped, how they demonstrated leadership or character, and why their service deserves recognition.
Can I nominate myself for volunteer recognition?
Some programs allow self-nominations. The Community Champion Spotlight accepts self-nominations.
Do I need volunteer hours to nominate someone?
It depends on the program. Some awards are based on documented volunteer hours. Others, such as Community Champion Spotlight or student citizenship recognition, may consider service, leadership, character, story, and impact.
Can students be nominated?
Yes. Students may be nominated for volunteer recognition, Community Champion Spotlight, or the Global Student Citizenship & Service Award when they demonstrate service, leadership, citizenship, and positive impact.
Is there a cost to nominate someone for Community Champion Spotlight?
No. Community Champion Spotlight nominations are free. Support votes are optional.
What makes a nomination strong?
A strong nomination is specific, honest, and impact-focused. It explains what the volunteer did, who benefited, and why the volunteer deserves recognition.
Final Thoughts
Nominating a volunteer for an award is a meaningful way to celebrate service and help someone feel seen.
The strongest nominations do not need to be perfect. They need to be clear, specific, honest, and connected to real impact.
If you know someone who serves with kindness, leadership, dedication, or compassion, consider nominating them through the Community Champion Spotlight, exploring Volunteer Recognition and Award Opportunities, or recognizing a student through the Global Student Citizenship & Service Award.
Volunteer stories matter. Recognition helps those stories be seen.