Volunteer recommendation letters can serve various purposes. It can be a recommendation of a person as a volunteer for some community services, a recommendation letter for a job, or it can even serve as a political candidate recommendation letter.
Before drafting a letter, ask the candidate the purpose behind the letter, get all the inputs, and highlight the qualities that serve the purpose. Sometimes a person who is just out of school and is looking for a job may ask you for a recommendation letter for the voluntary services he has provided. In such a scenario highlighting how selfless he was in community service will not help; ask for the job profile and stress on the qualities that are relevant to the job.
For example, Jack is looking for an accounting job after finishing school and asks for a volunteer recommendation letter. Emphasize the bookkeeping skills he displayed at a church in town. If someone is contesting for elections of the city mayor while recommending for this purpose, focus on the leadership abilities of a person.
When writing a volunteer recommendation letter detailing the purpose of the person thus becomes necessary, so if possible take a brief interview of the person and list out the reason and the relevant qualities. Remember, as the person has requested you to write a recommendation he thinks of you highly. So it is your responsibility to write a good recommendation letter; one that serves its purpose well.
If you need assistance in drafting a volunteer recommendation letter you can check the sample given below.
Sample Volunteer Recommendation Letter
The Head Priest,
St. Anne’s Church,
Boston, MA
To Whom It May Concern:
Volunteer Recommendation for Jack Williams
I am Fr. Braganza and I serve as a priest in the St. Peters’ Church of Houston, TX for the last eleven years. Jack Williams serves as a volunteer with the church for the past three years. The church carries out various community services and he has been an active and enthusiastic volunteer all these years. Jack was studying economics in a grad school in town, but never missed his shifts in the evening which he had dedicated to the church. He was a keen volunteer in the education for the underprivileged service started by our church two years ago; we teach the children who cannot afford the schools in the city and we have the support of the local government.
Jack possesses wonderful skills in teaching kids and keeping the class organized. Something that has drawn appreciation from teachers in some of the schools in the city. He also posses the ability to raise funds for the church and even organize awareness events at the local level. All in all, he has been a wonderful volunteer for the church for the last three years. He has been a sincere and dedicated volunteer.
Jack is now moving to Boston as he has got a job there. It is unfortunate that we will have to do without his wonderful services. But he wants to continue with volunteering in community service and has found out that your church carries out activities that are similar to those we do here.
I recommend Jack Williams as a worthy volunteer for your church and request you to consider this recommendation. If you need any more information about Jack, you can contact me.
Regards,
Fr. Braganza,
St. Peters’ Church,
Houston, TX
frbraganza@anydomain.com
566-418-998 (Church office)
Above is a sample volunteer recommendation letter in which the recommendation is for a person who wants to volunteer in community service. You can use the format but make the necessary changes based on the purpose of the letter.
