Volunteering Value Calculator

Independent Sector, a coalition of nonprofits and corporations, estimates the value of volunteer time at $33.49 per hour for 2024 (the most recent published figure). This is based on the average hourly earnings of production and nonsupervisory workers in private industries, multiplied by a factor that reflects the value of employer-paid benefits. Nonprofits use this figure for grant reporting, in-kind contribution valuations, and donor recognition.

No. Under US tax law, you cannot deduct the value of your time or services donated to a nonprofit organisation. However, you can deduct out-of-pocket expenses directly related to your volunteer service, including: mileage driven for volunteer work ($0.14/mile for 2025 charitable mileage, or actual unreimbursed costs), supplies you purchase for the organisation, and other unreimbursed costs directly related to your volunteer service. Keep receipts and a mileage log.

Nonprofits often report volunteer hours and their estimated economic value in annual reports, grant applications, and IRS Form 990 filings. Many foundations and government grant agencies require organisations to report volunteer contributions as matching or in-kind contributions to demonstrate community support. The Independent Sector volunteer value is widely accepted for this purpose. Some nonprofits also track skills-based volunteering separately at higher hourly rates reflecting the professional skills donated.

Skills-based volunteering means donating professional expertise (legal services, accounting, web design, marketing, medical care, engineering) to a nonprofit rather than general labour. The economic value of skills-based volunteering is typically much higher than the general volunteer rate - a volunteer attorney or CPA providing 10 hours of professional services might contribute $2,000-5,000 in economic value at market rates, compared to $335 at the standard volunteer rate.

According to AmeriCorps (which administers the national volunteering measurement through the Current Population Survey with the Bureau of Labor Statistics), approximately 60-70 million Americans formally volunteer each year. The volunteer rate is approximately 25% of adults. Volunteering rates are highest among people with college degrees, higher incomes, parents with school-age children, and residents of Midwestern and Mountain states.