A Volunteers Worth

What is a volunteer? According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, a volunteer is a person who voluntarily undertakes or expresses a willingness to undertake a service. A volunteer is someone who gives of the most valuable gifts they possess - their human capital. They give their time, their talents and themselves for the betterment of others without consideration for financial or material gain. The practice of volunteerism is intended to promote good or improve the quality of services, situations or conditions.

What is your donated time actually worth? According to a study conducted in 2008 by Independent Sector, a coalition of major charities and foundations in Washington, D.C., the national average value of donated time by a volunteer was $20.25 per hour. This value has increased nationally by nearly 40 percent over the past 10 years, staying ahead of inflation rates for the period. In Missouri, the latest figures available show the volunteer value at $17.76 per hour (figures as of 2007).1 Education of the volunteer is a key factor in the determination of rate. Communities with a large percentage of educated individuals have more civic resources available to contribute to volunteering and other forms of social capital.2 For example, when an educated volunteer is providing voluntary services within his specialized skill, the value of the work is based on the volunteer work and not the earning power. If this educated volunteer is performing this task for a non-profit organization, this measured value can be transferred to financial statements, including grant proposals and annual reports, based on specified criteria published by the Financial Accounting Standards Board.

Beyond the financial benefits are the economic and social benefits of volunteering. A volunteer can reduce the financial burden to a community by undertaking tasks that would have been otherwise completed by a funded position, thereby deferring the funding provided to the project by state or private capital, allowing the funding to be reallocated back to the community for additional financial support. A fringe benefit to communities enlisting the assistance of volunteers is the social benefits of volunteerism. A cohesive community that works together towards a common goal builds an atmosphere of trust and comradery between the citizens of the community, which in turn develops a more stable community.

A volunteer is not merely an asset to a project, but an essential component. Volunteerism provides substantial benefits to a community with relatively modest incurred cost. Volunteers need to be viewed as valued community and organizational assets. Volunteer involvement in the community provides stability and cohesiveness between the citizens of the community, while fostering an atmosphere of trust. Volunteer involvement enhances and expands the range of opportunities in a community and makes the community a better place to live.

Christine Wilson, Ambassador
Knowledge Sharing Systems

1 (2008). Value of Volunteer Time. Retrieved May 28, 2009, from Independent Sector Web site:
http://www.independentsector.org/programs/research/volunteer_time.html
2 Cramer, Kevin, et al., (July 2007). Volunteering in America: 2007 City Trends and Rankings. Corporation for National and
Community Service, Office of Research and Policy Development, Retrieved May 29, 2009.