You probably think your nonprofit’s volunteers are worth their weight in gold. After all, they provide essential labor, skills, and passion, significantly extending your nonprofit’s capacity and reducing costs. The bottom line: They allow you to achieve more with fewer resources.
But what does the labor market say? Recent research by Independent Sector and the University of Maryland’s Do Good Institute estimates that one hour of volunteer time is worth $34.79 (as of 2024, the latest data available). Here’s more information on their Value of Volunteer Time report and other charitable volunteer research. Spoiler alert: It’s good news!
Don’t underestimate us
The Value of Volunteer Time shows a 3.9% increase in the value of volunteer labor from 2023, compared with a 2.9% inflation rate over the same period. If you multiply $34.79 by the average annual hours a volunteer works (52), the total equates to nearly $1,809 per volunteer each year.
Of course, the value of volunteers varies by state and jurisdiction, based largely on local wage rates. The report puts an hourly estimate of $52.06 for District of Columbia volunteers, $42.00 for Massachusetts and $40.14 for California. By contrast, volunteers in Iowa are valued at $29.96, in Louisiana at $29.14 and in Puerto Rico at $17.32. Professionals such as accountants, attorneys and IT experts can deliver even greater value as volunteers for nonprofits — wherever the organizations might be located.
Many nonprofits paused in-person recruitment efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, volunteerism has generally rebounded since 2020. According to AmeriCorps, just over 60 million Americans volunteered in 2021, but by 2024, the number had soared to nearly 75.7 million. That represents about 28.2% of Americans age 16 and older. An even higher percentage, 54.2%, reported “informal” volunteer work, such as helping their neighbors by housesitting, running errands or lending tools, according to U.S. Census Bureau statistics.
Kids are all right
Census data says that members of Generation X, usually defined as those born between 1965 and 1980, lead other population groups in formal volunteering and that Baby Boomers dominate informal volunteering. But Gen Z and Millennials are catching up. More than half of Millennials and Gen Z adults say they’ve volunteered for a nonprofit recently.
A DoSomething Strategic and American Red Cross survey of younger adults and teens found that Generation Z volunteers prioritize work that offers “community impact,” “friends and connections,” and “growth opportunities.” One way you might attract their attention is to make virtual volunteer opportunities (such as online fundraising) available or to offer “micro-volunteering” or one-day commitments.
DoSomething (dosomething.org) specifically matches young people with causes and charities based on their interests and available time. Other websites, such as Idealist (idealist.org), can also help connect your organization with young volunteers for short- and long-term projects.
You might also want to partner with employers. Local businesses might be interested in collaborating with your nonprofit on a company-wide service day that pays employees to give back to their community while socializing with colleagues. Also, identify employers that offer paid volunteer time off (VTO) to employees. Eight hours — or a full day of VTO — is commonly offered as a fringe benefit.
Make the case for more
Whether your team consists entirely of unpaid volunteers or includes just a few dedicated individuals supporting your paid staff, each volunteer is invaluable. And if your nonprofit is like most, you could probably use a few extra hands.
That’s why knowing the value of a volunteer’s time is critical. It can help you make the case for spending additional time and resources on recruiting volunteers and formalizing your volunteer program. If you don’t already have one, consider hiring a volunteer coordinator to administer volunteer “rewards” initiatives, volunteer performance reviews and other elements of an organized volunteer program.
© 2026
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