play an integral part in the ability of many charities, and even businesses to function and without individuals who are prepared to give up their time for no money, a majority of these organisations would cease to exist.

People can have many motives for donating their time and expertise at no cost, whether they believe strongly in the cause that the charity is engaged in, want to build their experience in a business atmosphere or want to keep themselves active in a period between work, volunteers can find their way to organisations for a whole variety of reasons.

Time is an important commodity to give away these days. While individuals might not be volunteering to receive any form of financial reward, giving gifts to volunteers can have some important results for the charity or business who are awarding them.

Firstly there is the motivational effect that receiving a present will have on the volunteer. Gifts are always at their most powerful when they are not expected, so giving promotional gifts to volunteers will help to motivate them and may well let you to hold on to their services for for a longer period.

But why select promotional gifts for volunteers rather than something without your brand all over it?

One thing is certain when it comes to volunteering, there are a great deal of options out there. If individuals are willing to offer their expertise without charge then you can be fairly certain there will be a queue of people willing to take them up on their offer. So why did they decide on your organisation?

What drives a majority of volunteers is the feeling that they're carrying out something good for a worthwhile cause, and by deciding upon your organisation over the many others, they are showing that they believe in what you do and are followers of the work you carry out.

Rather than with some other varieties of promotional gifts, people will be happy to receive a product that is branded with your logo as the fact that they support your charity signifies that they will be excited to exhibit their allegiance to the ideas that you stand for. Supporting a charity is often a statement of character, so many individuals will be pleased to show their support for a charity that shares the same principals as they do.

So what promotional gifts should you give to your volunteers? If people are going to be pleased to spread the word about your charity, give them a platform on which to do so. Decide on a promotional gift that people can use as something that is used stands more of a chance of being seen which will help to spread the word about your organisation.

Make your promotional gifts relevant, practical and stylish and recipients will be pleased to use them which in turn will help to boost understanding of your organisation.