A time to pause, give thanks, and reflect
What volunteer-run boards can learn from how businesses approach the end of year
Thanksgiving has always been a time to slow down, look around, and appreciate what’s in front of us; our families, our friends, our communities, and the people who quietly make our everyday lives better.
But it’s also the perfect window for reflection for volunteer-run organizations.
“What worked? What didn’t? And what should we do differently next year?”
This is standard practice in the business world. End of review season mobilizes an organization to assess performance, run retrospectives, send surveys, document learnings, and prepare for the year ahead.
Volunteer boards can and should do the same.
Here are some tips for applying best-practices from the business world into your volunteer-run organization
1. Run a Simple End-of-Year Review
Add this topic on the Agenda for your next board meeting. Start with these simple but critical questions:
What were the top 3 things that went well this year?
What were the top 3 things that we could have improved on?
Don’t overthink it.
- The things that did work? Capture them so next year’s board doesn’t need to rediscover them.
- The things that didn’t work? Capture them so next year’s board doesn’t repeat them.
Real progress can be made from simply reflecting, documenting, and planning for improvements.
2. Survey Your Stakeholders
The best-run “customer centric” businesses have a simple but powerful practice for improvement: they ask customers and employees how they’re doing.
Volunteer-run organizations have “customers,” too:
Board members
Volunteers
Sponsors
Families or community members who participate in your programs.
The holiday season is the perfect time to send a short, two-minute survey:
How likely are you to recommend this organization to a friend? (0–10)
What’s one thing we did well this year?
What’s one thing we could improve next year?
Pro-tip: Google Forms are free and easy!
You’ll be amazed by the clarity that comes back. Patterns emerge quickly. And unlike guessing in a meeting room, this feedback comes straight from the community.
These insights become a gift to next year’s board members: tangible insights to build from.
3. Write Down the Things That Didn’t Work (While They’re Still Fresh)
Every volunteer board has the same story:
“Ah, right, we forgot about that until it was too late.”
“We said we’d fix that this year…but no one remembered.”
You can break that cycle with one simple habit: Create a “Lessons for Next Year” list during the holidays.
Think of it like leaving breadcrumbs for future you:
What deadlines snuck up on you?
What did you wish you had started earlier?
What processes were confusing?
What took way too long?
What questions did new board members keep asking?
This list becomes gold when the next season rolls around. It’s all about continuity, something volunteer organizations rarely have, but desperately need.
4. Set Smart Reminders for Next Year
Reflection is helpful, but pairing it with action is key. Take the items from your review and schedule them now, when they matter least but will matter most later:
Add calendar reminders for key deadlines.
Set up tasks for next year’s board in your project system (or even a shared doc).
Jot down the order of operations for big events.
Capture vendor contacts, budget numbers, and timelines while you still remember them.
This is the type of operational muscle that businesses build naturally, but volunteer boards rarely have the time or tools to create from scratch. These small actions upfront will pay dividends next year.
5. Say Thank You
Lastly, and most importantly, use this moment to say thank you.
Volunteer organizations run on generosity, not compensation. A simple, heartfelt note of gratitude can go a long way:
Thank the board member who always took the late-night emails.
Thank the treasurer who kept everything organized.
Thank the volunteer who showed up early and stayed late.
Thank the sponsors who helped make things possible.
Your board’s year is built on the shoulders of people who choose to care. They deserve to hear that it mattered.
Thank You from Third Job
To every volunteer reading this:
Thank you for making your community stronger.
Thank you for giving your free time, your ideas, and your energy
And thank you for doing your third job, the one that isn’t on your resume, but leaves a lasting impact on your community.
Wishing you and your families a warm, joyful, and restful Thanksgiving.