VOLUNTEER RECOMMENDATION LETTER- WITH WRITING GUIDE 2024
As a Volunteer Manager, are you asked by your volunteers to write a Recommendation Letter for volunteer work they have done in association with you?
If so, then you are entrusted with a huge responsibility, as a volunteer recommendation letter will surely help your volunteers with a lucrative career opportunity, college admission, scholarship application, etc.
But if you are facing difficulty writing a reference letter for a volunteer, then you are at the right page, as this blog is your one stop solution for all your confusions regarding the drafting of a recommendation letter for volunteer work.
What is a Volunteer Recommendation Letter? Why is it Important?
A Volunteer Recommendation Letter is the summary of what a community member has done in an organization as a Volunteer.
It is a reflection of a community member’s commitment to the work, skills displayed, compassion to the responsibilities, and the overall impression the Manager feels about the member.
It is important as it is a proof of the social commitments the candidate was part of and this letter will help them gain a job opportunity, scholarship, college admission, etc.
QUICK ENQUIRY
Questions You Should Answer Before Writing
As a Recommendation Letter for Volunteering has a huge weightage, you have to craft the same with great accuracy and precision.
Here are a few questions one must answer before writing a recommendation letter for volunteering work.
- How was the candidate during the volunteering?
This is one of the crucial questions you have to answer while writing a recommendation letter for volunteer work.
You can explain how the candidate as a volunteer was and how all the candidates were beneficial to your organization.
- What all personal qualities did the candidate exhibited during his or her tenure
Here you can explain about the qualities you witnessed of the candidate during their tenure at your organization.
You can explain how enthusiastic the candidate was on his or her duty, and what makes him or her unique.
- What quality of the candidate attracted you to recommend the candidate for the job or scholarship or college admission
Here you can explain about the uniqueness of the candidate and what quality of the candidate attracted you most.
Give examples to support your claims.
What Do Admissions Officers Look for in LORs?
As a Reference letter for a volunteer is a reflection of a candidate’s past activity in a volunteering organization, it should contain all the information regarding the candidate’s volunteering days with this particular organization.
While evaluating a recommendation letter for volunteering, an Admission Officer may look for the candidate’s personality traits, characteristics, working capabilities, positive qualities, etc.
They may also look for the nature of the work done by the volunteer, skills displayed by the candidate, how the volunteer helped the organization to grow, etc.
How Long Your LOR Should be?
While writing a recommendation letter you have to be mindful about the formatting style and techniques one needs to follow.
Word Count:
200 – 400 words
Character Limit:
1500 – 2000 characters
Margin:
One inch on all sides
Page count:
one page
Font Style:
Times New Roman
Font Size:
11 or 12
Volunteer Recommendation Letter - Samples
Guidelines for Using Samples
Looking for a perfect Volunteer Recommendation Letter Sample to better structuralize what you have envisioned to write?
Then we have attached a sample letter of recommendation for community involvement for your reference.
Have a look at it to better understand the structure, format, style, etc. of a letter of recommendation for volunteer work.
Write Your LORs in 6 Steps
While writing an LOR, you may find several self-questions triggering you.
You may be confused about how to write an introduction, conclusion, etc.
Here we have listed a 6 step strategy to help you craft a perfect letter of recommendation for volunteer work.
- Include your address and date
- Greet the recipient
- Introduce yourself
- Give details about how the candidate was during the volunteer work
- Explain your reason for the recommendation
- Provide your contact information and conclude the letter formally
Who Is Eligible to Write LORs?
To write a reference letter for a volunteer, one can approach a Volunteer Manager, or any person who holds an important designation and has closely seen the candidate as a volunteer.
Make sure the person knows the candidate well and can give a sincere recommendation for his or her services.
Final Checklist
A checklist will help you to be ensured that you include all the relevant points in the community service letter of recommendation you have drafted.
Below we list a checklist to help you make your LOR perfect.
- Did I include my contact information?
- Did I format the LOR?
- Did I vouch for his or her abilities?
- Did I follow the correct structure to write an LOR?
Do's and Don't in Your LOR
While writing an LOR for volunteering work, you have to make it both error free and perfect.
Here we list a few do’s and don’ts to make your LOR perfect.
Do’s
Don’ts
Do vouch for the capabilities of the volunteer
Don’t ignore the guidelines
Do proofread the document
Don’t give false information
Do substantiate your points with proper examples
Don’t be late to start your writing of recommendation letter
Be genuine in your recommendation
Don’t be generic in your approach
Tips for Writing
Here we list a few tips to craft a stellar recommendation letter for volunteer work.
- Tailor the LOR to meet the purpose
- Be formal in your writing
- Give focus to one or two qualities of the candidate that well matches with the requirements
- Use active voice to write the recommendation letter
Conclusion
Having read the blog till the end, you have done a great job and have familiarized yourself with the writing style and structure of a recommendation letter for volunteer work.
Are you now confident to write a recommendation letter on your own?
If yes, then our mission is successful.
Do let us know if this blog helped you in any way.
Feel free to contact us for your query, we will be happy to assist you with our professional assistance.
Mrs. Sreeja Sudha
With a specialization in academic content writing, Sreeja Sudha is a skilled Content Writer and Editor who has got years of experience in crafting Statement of Purposes (SOPs) for students who are aspiring to pursue a masters degree . Her passion for delivering impactful and captivating pieces made her a top choice for students to craft their academic documents. Her expertise in various subjects, writing styles, and a tailored and persuasive writing approach helped her successfully cater to students' academic goals.