Nonprofit Tools
Volunteer Time Value Calculator
Put a defensible dollar value on volunteer hours for grant applications, annual reports and board decks — using the latest Independent Sector estimate of $36.14 per hour.
Your volunteers
$36.14 is the 2025 national value from Independent Sector & the Do Good Institute. Your state’s figure may be higher or lower — replace it if you use a state rate, or a market wage for specialized skills (see below).
Skilled hours (optional)
Lawyers, accountants, designers, nurses: value pro-bono professional work at its market rate, not the general rate.
The value
Where the $36.14 figure comes from
Each year Independent Sector, with the Do Good Institute at the University of Maryland, publishes the estimated value of a volunteer hour, derived from Bureau of Labor Statistics average earnings for non-managerial private-sector workers plus a benefits load. The 2025 value is $36.14 per hour (released April 2026), up 3.9% from $34.79 the year before. State-level values are published alongside the national number and can differ substantially — check the Independent Sector site for yours.
How organizations use this number
- Grant applications: volunteer time can often be counted as in-kind match — many federal and foundation grants accept it, valued at a documented, consistent rate.
- Annual reports & board decks: “our 50 volunteers contributed time worth $90,000” communicates community support in a currency everyone understands.
- Financial statements: under GAAP, only donated services that create assets or require specialized skills are recorded — general volunteer time usually is not. The Independent Sector figure is for communication and grants, not your audit.
- Skilled services: value a lawyer’s pro-bono contract review at legal market rates. It is both accurate and, in that narrow case, potentially bookable — ask your auditor.
Keep timesheets or sign-in logs behind any number you publish or put in a grant — funders can and do ask for documentation.
Volunteer Time Value methodology
The volunteer time calculator multiplies volunteer hours by the published value of a volunteer hour. Nonprofits often use this estimate in annual reports, grant narratives, board updates and internal planning.
Planning example. Four hundred volunteer hours at a published hourly value can help a small nonprofit explain the scale of community support behind a program.
How to use the result
- Use the number as a planning estimate, not a final accounting or legal conclusion.
- Check the assumptions against real quotes, actual donor data, board policy or grant requirements.
- Copy or print the result for a board packet, committee meeting or internal planning note.
Common questions
Does Nonprofit Tools store my inputs?
No. The calculation runs in your browser and the numbers are not uploaded to Nonprofit Tools.
Can this replace professional advice?
No. Use the result for planning, then confirm final financial, legal, audit, grant or tax decisions with the appropriate professional.
Where can I review the general source approach?
See How Our Nonprofit Calculators Work.