For Programs - Operating a Program - Value of a Volunteer Hour

The estimate helps acknowledge the millions of individuals who dedicate their time, talents, and energy to making a difference. Charitable organizations can use this estimate to quantify the enormous value volunteers provide. 

The Independent Sector researches and publishes the value of a volunteer by state. The Independent Sector calculated the estimated dollar value of volunteer time in Washington as $20.37 per hour for 2007 (volunteer time presented is the average wage of non-management, non-agricultural workers). Visit their website to learn more about these figures, including how they are calculated and how nonprofit organizations often use them.

The Financial Accounting Standards Board approves using the volunteer hour value to estimate to quantify the enormous value volunteers provide. According to the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the value of volunteer services can also be used on financial statements – including statements for internal and external purposes, grant proposals, and annual reports – only if a volunteer is performing a specialized skill for a nonprofit. The general rule to follow when determining if contributed services meet the FASB criteria for financial forms is to determine whether the organization would have purchased the services if they had not been donated. Accounting specialists may visit FASB’s website for regulations on use of the value of volunteer time on financial forms.