Calculating the Value of a Volunteer Hour

Multicolor hand silhouettes reach up from the bottom of the image. Text reads: $31.51 - Estimated value of one volunteer hour in California.

Do you realize how valuable volunteers are to your organization? Every year, the nonprofit coalition Independent Sector estimates of the value of one volunteer hour (e.g., what it would cost a nonprofit to hire someone instead). In California, that figure is $31.52/hour. However, the amount varies by state, ranging from $20.95/hour in Mississippi to a whopping $44.14/hour in the District of Colombia.

The bottom line? Volunteers are an incredible asset to your nonprofit. Are you treating your volunteers like the treasure they really are?