There comes a time when you might have to leave a job due to some difficulties. You need to understand the proper handling of the situation, regardless of how it makes you or the organization feel. Resignation letters are a common way of notifying an employer of parting ways with the organization. However, how should a resignation letter come across to the recipient?
A volunteer needs to write a correct resignation letter. The article below sheds light on the multiple aspects of an acceptable volunteer resignation letter.
While it might seem obvious on the surface, a volunteer resignation letter goes beyond notifying the company that you’re leaving. In more in-depth terms, a resignation letter seeks to inform the organization of your intentions to leave the current position you hold and enable your employers to implement their contingencies as you go. A volunteer resignation letter lets your employers know that you are leaving the company and why you are leaving the company. Sometimes it also carries the notice period you are giving the company before your exit.
The resignation letter is essential as it helps the company plan out fully what they intend to do; Either to persuade you to stay or look for a replacement to fill in your role.
Tendering a resignation is very important as this affords the company ample time to calculate all that is due you for payment and, in some cases, lets you leave on a good note as you might be requesting a reference letter sometime in the future.
A volunteer resignation letter is one you give when you wish to leave the organization where you volunteer. Tendering a resignation at a volunteer position is just as crucial as tendering resignation at paid employment. Not only because it’s courteous but also because you might need some personal references from the company someday, and they would come in handy.
A resignation at a volunteer position should be treated and taken as seriously as any regular paid employment. It should be written in correct grammar and tense and handed in the appropriate way
Should You Write a Resignation Letter for a Volunteer Position?
You must write a volunteer resignation letter for the same reason as a conventional, profit-making company. You write it to allow the management to prepare for your absence. It gives them time to weigh their contingencies to handle your work description while you are gone.
A resignation at a volunteer position allows for proper documentation by the company and allows ample time for them to decide on the next course of action to take.
A volunteer resignation letter also lets the company prepare any bonuses or farewell gifts due in good time and hand them over to you before your exit.
How to Structure Your Volunteer Resignation Letter
Tendering your resignation from a volunteer position is not as complicated as it might seem. It follows the exact procedure necessary in a for-profit business and also entails the same things unless you might want to tweak it a bit.
The following are some of the main points on how to resign from being a volunteer;
Give the notice
You must notify your coordinator of your intended resignation as per the notice period in your contract; being a volunteer doesn’t mean you can walk out the door and leave whenever you want. The organization needs the services you volunteered for, and going without notice would leave them in some confusion as to what to do next. Hence notifying your line manager is a pre-requisite.
There are no laws set in stone as to how much notice you need to give before resigning. However, two weeks is the most acceptable duration for a resignation notice;
Use the proper format
Bear in mind that a volunteer position is not an informal affair; therefore, you have to employ at least one of the standard writing methods in a volunteer resignation letter. Your letter must be a proper formal letter and addressed to the right person’s concerned.No shorthand’s, shoddy write-ups, or improper language must feature in writing the volunteer resignation letter.
Be brief on the reason
There are several reasons why you may want to leave your volunteer position; however, you don’t need to go into specifics. Just state the cause without having to bore the reader with the intricacies. Make your volunteer resignation letter straight to the point and leave it at that.
Reason for leaving
You might also want to inform them of where you are moving to or why you are leaving, as the case may be. An excellent approach is to briefly state your reasons to go at the end of the first paragraph and elaborate upon it in the next section.
Keep a positive vibe
Don’t fall into the temptation of listing out the shortcomings of the work environment you intend to leave. It is a no-no. Highlight all the fantastic things about the company and then state your reason for going.
If you have any specifics of leaving, you can discuss that verbally but cautiously with your line manager or HR department but never state that in the volunteer resignation letter.
Specific address
You might want to address a particular person or team in the institution. Depending on the level of friendliness you’ve enjoyed in the organization, you have to use a more direct address in your letter. Your closeness levels with the supervisor and the position you hold determine whether you use real names or their titles instead.
Besides the pleasantries and address, there are quite several things you might want to state in the volunteer resignation letter. Some of these are why you are resigning, how you have arranged your pending work for the person replacing you, what you can do to help with the transitioning process, and if you would be interested in volunteering in the future.
The paragraphs in the letter should give the reader full information and understanding of your objectives without confusing them. Always make sure your letter is precise and easy to understand.
The volunteer resignation letter should include your contact information, date, the recipient’s contact information, a proper salutation, the content/body of the letter, and then the closing salutation with your signature appended at the end.
Gratitude
You must also state what you loved most about working with the company and their core values, which interested you the most. Thank them for the time they afforded you to enjoy the privileges and opportunities. Approach the letter’s end with an appreciating line for the good memories and skills garnered whilst working with them. That should about make up an excellent volunteer resignation letter content.
Volunteer Resignation Letter Samples
Following are the volunteer resignation letters for different occasions:
Volunteer resignation letter template
Subject: [Your Name] Resignation
Dear [Employer/Coordinator X],
With great regret, I render my resignation from [volunteer position], effective from next month.
I just got admitted into the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The attendant school schedule has been such that I cannot continue to manage my volunteering duties effectively for the organization’s proper operation. I will be resigning altogether on [Specific Date].
Thank you for the experience and skills you imparted in me for over three years; I will always have the best wishes for the organization and its management and staff.
Sincerely yours,
Volunteer resignation letter from church
Dear [Co-ordinator X],
I am writing this letter to inform you of my intentions to step down from [volunteer position] as choir director at [Church name]. As you may be aware, [reason for resignation]. To better handle the situation, I believe it would be expedient for me to resign from my position and hand it over to a new director. My last day at work will be June 24, 2021, so please consider this as my two weeks’ notice of resignation.
I truly regret any inconvenience my resignation might bring to [Church name]. I would be happy to make an effort to select a replacement or help with the transition process. I do have a few replacement recommendations. If you would like to contact me on the matter, reach me on the phone at [Contact Number], or at [email address] I look forward to hearing from you soon.
I have truly enjoyed my time in [volunteer position] and have enjoyed the other members’ support and cooperation. I am sorry to have to leave work for now. It’s to put more time into my higher priorities. I appreciate your understanding and cooperation.
Yours sincerely,
[Your Name]
Nurse volunteer resignation letter
Dear [Employer X],
I am writing this letter to formally resign from my [Volunteer Nurse Position] at [Hospital Name]. This letter serves as the required advance four-week resignation notice based on my contract, with the effective date being [Actual resignation date].
Throughout my service years at the hospital, I learned several interpersonal skills from the people I’ve had to work with to achieve a goal. I saw the genuine zeal to uphold core medical values and care standards. I have been able to contribute to helping humanity, thanks to your astute sense of leadership.
Kindly inform me of the ways I could help with the transition process. Many thanks to you for the opportunities you’ve given me. I wish you continued progress in the operations in the hospital.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Committee volunteer resignation letter
Dear [Coordinator’s Last Name],
I have immensely enjoyed volunteering for [Organisation Name]. However, I would like to state that I can not continue to hold the position as a committee member come this summer.
Due to [statement of reason], it would see me become incapable of putting in the minimum volunteering hours required by the organization. However, I would appreciate it if the position would be available later in the fall if it is possible for the foundation. I apologize for any inconvenience it might cause you.
Once again, I use the opportunity to appreciate what you’ve made available for over nine months. I learned so much from the processes and have come away with fond memories of the experience.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
Organisation volunteer resignation letter
Subject: Resignation from the Volunteer Position with your Organization
Dear Mr. /Ms. Last name:
As you know, I have been working for you in the [volunteer position] for the past two years. I wish I could keep working for you in this capacity; however, as fate has had it, I have to depart from the firm.
My departure got triggered by [statement of reason]. Being a full-time engagement, I have no choice but to cut off any other commitment in pursuit of [reason for resigning].
I must say that I have enjoyed every bit of my journey at your organization. I get emotional when I recall pleasant memories of the good times I shared with my colleagues.
If it is possible, I shall be available for volunteers during the long summer breaks. Should my services become necessary at such times, do not hesitate to call me. Immediately I’m through with the current engagement, I shall also gladly come back to the organization, pending my full employment elsewhere.
To aid with the transition, I offer my assistance to whoever shall be my replacement. Feel free to call me up on [Telephone number]. I also take this opportunity to say goodbye to my colleagues and supervisor formally.
Sincerely,
Download Templates
The process of resigning might be tasking emotionally and mentally; as a volunteer, you might need to summon enough courage to leave a company of which you’ve been so passionate. The above-listed points would help give you the necessary tips on writing a proper volunteer resignation letter to a volunteer organization.
If you got stumped at some point as to the right kind of volunteer resignation letter to write, you could check out and download our volunteer resignation letter templates. Visit our website to go through our full catalog.
Tips to Resign from Volunteer Position
No one resignation technique works for everyone. It ultimately depends on the mode of resignation (Either sweet or sour) and the position or person writing the resignation; no one size fits all.
However, the following are the fundamental tips to help you whip up an effective volunteer resignation letter;
Show gratitude
Focus on and skills the good experiences you got while volunteering. Thank the management for allowing you to work with them and express your gratitude for what you learned and how that would help your future endeavors.
State your future plans
This is unnecessary, but it doesn’t hurt to state why you are resigning and what you are hoping or will already do once you exit the company. It could help you when getting a personal reference or even help you get a similar role in a company’s partner organization if need be.
State that you plan to stay in touch
Never burn bridges. Always stay in touch with your bosses and other colleagues and mention within the letter what you plan to do. Please write that you enjoyed working with them and would keep up the relationship in case they need your help or you theirs time in the future.
Offer to assist with the adjustment
Resigning means that you would most probably be leaving a vacuum. Hence filling that vacuum by the company might come with some hiccups. Whilst resigning, offer to help ensure that the replacement is seamless and devoid of hiccups. This would further strengthen your relationship with your bosses and the company in general.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to explain why I’m resigning?
No. Most of the time, stating the reason on the surface is enough. You don’t need to explain because your employer frankly does not require the information.
Should you resign on Friday or Monday?
It depends on how you appraise the situation. It could be Friday if the company needs to find a solution for a new work week; Monday, if you have to make it formal.
Can you be disciplined after resigning?
It isn’t very likely. The obligations are not very strict for a volunteering position, which means resignation only requires a little formality.