Showing Leadership the Money: Measuring Volunteer Impact in 2026
· 7 min read
TL;DR
- Basic formula: Total volunteer hours × $33.49/hour (national average) = labor value contributed
- Skill-based valuation: Specialized volunteers (lawyers, accountants, IT pros) contribute at professional rates, not generic ones
- Track meaningful metrics: retention rate, shift completion, hours per volunteer, cost per volunteer hour, clients served
- Report for your audience: boards want high-level value; funders want program-specific outcomes; volunteers want collective impact stories
- Good data requires good systems—accurate hour tracking is foundational to everything else