6 Ways to Show Appreciation for a Retiring Board Member

Board members make incredible contributions to their organizations, and if one of your board members is retiring, it’s a big deal. They’ve spent their time creating documents, setting policies, and onboarding executives. A retiring board member full of integrity and a strong commitment to the company will be hard to replace.

Whether you’re the owner of the company, a manager, or just a coworker, you’ll want to send them on to their next adventure with some genuine appreciation.

One of the best ways to show appreciation for a retiring board member is through a personalized gift or something that holds personal meaning. Here are some board of directors recognition ideas for you to consider.

1. A personalized crystal plaque

When you want to show your appreciation for a retiring board member, there’s no better way than to give them a gift that will remind them of that appreciation for years to come. You can do this by getting them a custom, personalized crystal plaque.

We have several different plaques to choose from to recognize your special retiree, including:

· An octagonal crystal board of directors recognition award

· A crystal sailboard board of directors plaque

· A board member achievement award

With a personalized crystal plaque, you can have any saying you want inscribed on the award. For instance, you can find a generic message online if you can’t think of one on your own, or you can create a personal, deeper message with your team and the other board members.

2. A food basket

It’s safe to assume that everyone loves food. You might need to ask around to find out what kind of food your retiring board member enjoys most, but once you know, it will be easy to build a food basket for them.

You can always go with the classic meat, cheese, wine, and bread basket. There are plenty of variations to choose from. There are several well-known companies that produce gift baskets you can buy through the mail. The Spruce published a review of the 13 best gift baskets, according to their editors. Many of these contain luxury items like fine wine and meats. However, if your retiring board member is vegan or vegetarian, you’ll want to choose a different option.

If you can’t find pre-made food baskets that work for your board member, make one yourself. You don’t have to create a perfect presentation, like you see in magazines. All you need to do is buy the food you want to gift and then find your basket afterward. This way, everything will fit in the basket. If it’s tasty, they’ll appreciate every bite.

3. A surprise party

A surprise party is a great appreciation gift for an outgoing board member. However, if you’re going to invite other staff members, it may not be easy to pull off a surprise party without talking to everyone individually. You don’t want to send out a memo because even if you ask people to keep things a secret, the memo could end up being seen or passed around.

Don’t make your announcements or discuss your plans in the office. Keep your plans for a surprise party under wraps in the office and call people individually to start planning and inviting them to the event.

4. Personal letters

Everyone loves being appreciated by others, and your retiring board member will love getting personal letters. Start asking other board members and staff if they’d write a personal letter of appreciation to your retiree, telling them how much they appreciate their contributions over the years.

Your retiring board member will have already spent plenty of time making connections with others in the office and on the board, so you’ll probably get a lot of people to contribute a letter. You can collect these letters and give them to your retiree, or you can ask each person to personally read their letter at their farewell party for an extra personal touch.

5. Gift cards

Gift cards make wonderful board member appreciation gifts. There’s a reason most people choose gift cards for retiring board members: they’re personal to a degree, but you can’t go wrong. For instance, if you know where they like to shop, you can get them gift cards for those businesses without having to figure out what they want.

Gift cards are somewhat generic, however, so if you’re going to go this route, make sure you add some personal touches. For example, put a gift card in a little basket surrounded by chocolates or cookies. Adding other items to the gift card will help you create a beautiful presentation.

6. Take them to lunch with the other board members

When was the last time you took your retiring board member to lunch? Whether you go to lunch with them regularly or not at all, they’ll enjoy a meal out with you and the other board members.

Find a restaurant everyone can agree on, but try to make it a place your retiree loves to frequent. If they don’t have a favorite restaurant, at least try to find a restaurant that serves their favorite kind of food. For example, maybe they like Mexican food, Thai food, or burgers and fries.

Sharing food with people is an excellent way to bond, and it also makes people feel happier and more uplifted. People tend to feel closer to others over a meal, so taking your retiree out to lunch will be an excellent opportunity to tell them how much you appreciate them.

Appreciate your retiring board member with a personalized crystal plaque

A crystal plaque will make a great personalized retirement gift for your board member. They’ll feel appreciated and seen for all of their hard work and contributions to the company over the years. We have a great selection of crystal plaques for retiring board members, so be sure to check them out and choose the one that you think they’ll like most. They’ll be honored that you want to recognize them, and will be reminded of your appreciation each time they see their plaque.