Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Total estimated volunteer value
$163,158
General volunteer value
$140,658
Skilled/pro bono value
$22,500
Total volunteer hours
4,350
GAAP-recognizable amount
$0
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter general volunteer hours (year).
- 2Enter general volunteer hour rate ($).
- 3Enter skilled/professional volunteer hours.
- 4Enter market rate for that skilled service ($).
- 5Enter does it meet gaap recognition criteria?.
- 6Read your total estimated volunteer value on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Independent Sector publishes an annual national and state-level estimated value of volunteer time, updated each spring, and it's the most commonly cited benchmark for reporting in-kind volunteer contributions in annual reports and grant matching requirements. This calculator multiplies volunteer hours by that rate (or a skills-based rate you supply for professional pro bono work like legal or accounting help, which should use the market rate for that service, not the general volunteer rate) and adds a fringe-equivalent load some organizations apply to reflect what it would actually cost to hire the labor. Note that GAAP only allows recognizing volunteer time as an in-kind revenue and expense on financial statements if it creates or enhances a nonfinancial asset, or requires specialized skills the volunteer possesses and would otherwise have to be purchased, like a volunteer CPA doing your audit prep.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- General volunteer hours (year): 4200
- General volunteer hour rate: 33.49 $
- Skilled/professional volunteer hours: 150
- Market rate for that skilled service: 150 $
- Does it meet GAAP recognition criteria?: No — report narratively only
Results
- Total estimated volunteer value: $163,158
- General volunteer value: $140,658
- Skilled/pro bono value: $22,500
- Total volunteer hours: 4,350
- GAAP-recognizable amount: $0
What each field means
Inputs
- General volunteer hours (year)
- The general volunteer hours (year) used in the calculation. Starts at 4200 so you have a working example on load.
- General volunteer hour rate ($)
- The general volunteer hour rate used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 33.49 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Skilled/professional volunteer hours
- The skilled/professional volunteer hours used in the calculation. Starts at 150 so you have a working example on load.
- Market rate for that skilled service ($)
- The market rate for that skilled service used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 150 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Does it meet GAAP recognition criteria?
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Yes — recognize on financial statements, No — report narratively only.
Results
- Total estimated volunteer value
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- General volunteer value
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Skilled/pro bono value
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Total volunteer hours
- Returned as a whole number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- GAAP-recognizable amount
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Where does the default rate come from?
Independent Sector and the Do Good Institute publish an annual national estimated value of volunteer time based on average hourly earnings of production and nonsupervisory workers with a 1.5x multiplier for benefits. It updates every year, usually in the $33-34 range recently, and varies by state.
Can I put this number on my income statement?
Only if the volunteer time meets FASB ASC 958-605 criteria: it creates or enhances a nonfinancial asset, or requires specialized skills, is provided by someone with those skills, and would typically need to be purchased if not donated. General event-day volunteers almost never qualify; a volunteer architect designing your building renovation does.
Why use a different rate for skilled volunteers?
A lawyer donating 10 hours of contract review is worth what you'd pay a lawyer, not the general volunteer rate. Using the blended rate for specialized labor massively understates the actual value of that in-kind contribution and shortchanges your impact reporting.
How do funders use this figure?
Many grants with match requirements accept volunteer time as in-kind match, valued at the Independent Sector rate or your documented rate. Always confirm the specific funder's match policy before counting volunteer value toward a required cash or in-kind match.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Volunteer Service Value Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/volunteer-service-value
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/volunteer-service-value" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Volunteer Service Value Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Volunteer Service Value Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/volunteer-service-value) (2026).