Skip to main content

What are you looking for?

Enter keywords to search across resources, guides, training, tools, and more.

Create an account for suggestions personalised to you and your organisation
Create account
Tools or Toolkits
1 minute read

Volunteer Value and Cost Calculators

Meeting National Standards and Strategy Seal Meeting National Standards and Strategy What's this?

Introduction

Many organisations rely heavily on volunteers, but quantifying their impact can be challenging. These free online calculators, help bridge that gap.

Summary

The Volunteer Value and Cost Calculators estimate the financial cost of hiring paid staff to replace volunteer work. Simply enter the number of volunteer hours by age group, and the calculator provides a dollar value based on average local wages and employer costs.

Benefits for Volunteer Organisations

  • Calculators provide concrete evidence of the financial and societal impact of volunteers, strengthening funding applications and grant proposals.

  • Understanding the value of volunteers helps organisations make strategic decisions about volunteer recruitment, engagement, and resource allocation.

  • Quantifying volunteer contributions allows organisations to effectively show volunteers the true extent of their impact.

Applications

Volunteer management practitioners can promote these resources to volunteer involving organisations and integrate calculator results into reports to highlight the importance of volunteer contributions.

Calculators are available from State and Territory Volunteering Peak Bodies.

Please note: Different valuations and methodologies may be used in different States and Territories.

Downloads and sources

View downloads and resources
6 sources
Visit source
Visit source
Visit source
Visit source
View original resource
Volunteer benefits calculator from Volunteering WA
Visit source
View original resource
Value of volunteering from Volunteering SA and NT
Visit source

More about the authors

The Centre for Volunteering (The Centre) is a not-for-profit organisation with almost 50 years’ experience providing leadership on volunteering in NSW. This involves playing a key role in advocacy, support services and sector development.
info@volunteering.com.au 02 9261 3600
Visit website
Volunteering Queensland has for 41 years been the state’s peak body for advancing and promoting volunteering. It represents over 300 member volunteer involving organisations and support thousands more through a wider network, encompassing hundreds of thousands of volunteers, who contribute their time, money, and skills to the benefit of all Queenslanders.
reception@volunteeringqld.org.au 07 3002 7600
Visit website
Since 1982, Volunteering SA&NT has been the peak body for volunteering. We’re a not-for-profit that provides support to individual volunteers, volunteer involving organisations, businesses and communities who want to make a difference.
reception@vsant.org.au 08 8221 7177
Visit website
Volunteering Tasmania is the peak body for volunteering in Tasmania. Our vision is: an inclusive, thriving and celebrated culture of community participation.
team@volunteeringtas.org.au (03) 6231 5550
Visit website
Volunteering Victoria is the state peak body for volunteering, focusing on advocacy, sector development and the promotion of volunteering.
info@volunteeringvictoria.org.au (03) 9052 4524
Visit website
Volunteering WA is the peak body for volunteering in Western Australia, working across community, government, corporate and education organisations to build capacity of volunteer involving organisations, and support volunteering.
info@volunteeringwa.org.au 08 9482 4333
Visit website

Contribute to the Gateway

Leave feedback

Was this resource useful?

Make a Suggestion

If you find a great resource that isn't in the directory or want to provide feedback on the Volunteering Gateway, drop us a line!

More like this

Resources

Rights and Responsibilities

This article outlines the rights and responsibilities of both volunteers and volunteer organisations.
1 minute read
The Centre for Volunteering, The Knowledge Base
Tools or Toolkits

Disability Action Plan

A guide on how to develop a Disability Action Plan. This resource is accompanied by Disability Action Plan Templates.
1 minute read
Volunteering Victoria, Victoria ALIVE
Disability
Resources

Foundations of Volunteer Management: Recruit, Induct and Support Volunteers

This e-learning unit builds skills in recruiting, inducting, and supporting volunteers. Learn to craft roles, market effectively, manage risks, and run smooth inductions. Aligned with CHCVOL003, it supports strong volunteer engagement and program success.
1 minute read
The Knowledge Base, Volunteering ACT, The Centre for Volunteering, Volunteering Queensland, Volunteering SA&NT, Volunteering Tasmania, Volunteering Victoria, Volunteering WA, National Volunteer Management Activity Project
Volaby
Tech

Volaby

Volaby is an end-to-end volunteer and people management platform, enabling organisations to do more with less! Built from the collective voice of our volunteer managers using the platform, Volaby helps you automate and simplify the volunteer and manager experience to save time and scale impact.
Volunteer database Recruitment Rostering / scheduling Onboarding / training Volunteer performance/recognition Communication / engagement Task management Compliance Reporting Resource management Event management
MyPass
Tech

MyPass

MyPass is volunteer onboarding and compliance management software centred around a digital Skills Passport, designed to help volunteer involving organisations (VIOs) reduce their risk and cost of operations.
Volunteer database Recruitment Rostering / scheduling Onboarding / training Communication / engagement Compliance Reporting Resource management Event management
VIKTOR Lite
Tech

VIKTOR Lite

VIKTOR Lite enables volunteer involving organisations to recruit volunteers via a range of websites run by local governments, state peaks, local volunteer resource centres, Volunteering Australia and SEEK Volunteer.
Volunteer database Recruitment Onboarding / training Reporting
scheduled

Introduction to the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement

This workshop guides participants through the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement, Australia’s best practice roadmap for volunteering professionals.
Volunteering Victoria
–
FREE
scheduled

2026 National Volunteering Conference

Under the theme Innovation and Impact: Reimagining Volunteering, the conference will bring us together to address high-priority issues and explore bold, practical solutions that support the National Strategy for Volunteering.
Volunteering SA&NT
–
A$900.00
scheduled

Disability Inclusion Training - Foundations first steps

This training is designed to give employees and volunteers the knowledge and confidence to incorporate inclusive practices both personally and professionally. This training is for those that minimal prior knowledge or considerable experience in the sector.
Volunteering SA&NT
–
Free