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

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

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.

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.

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.

Volunteering Tasmania is the peak body for volunteering in Tasmania. Our vision is: an inclusive, thriving and celebrated culture of community participation.

Volunteering Victoria is the state peak body for volunteering, focusing on advocacy, sector development and the promotion of volunteering.

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.

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

Volunteer Recognition

This article and guide highlights the importance of recognising volunteers and provides suggestions of various methods to show your appreciation.
1 minute read
The Centre for Volunteering, Volunteering ACT, Volunteering Queensland, Volunteering SA&NT, Volunteering Tasmania, Volunteering Victoria, Volunteering WA, The Knowledge Base
Factsheets

Managing staff and volunteers - good practice tips

This Australian Charities and Not for Profits Commission (ACNC) fact sheet helps small charities treat staff and volunteers with respect, and have a positive organisational attitude to its people, through planning, processes/procedures and the right attitude.
1 minute read
Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission
General
Tools or Toolkits

Volunteers in Aged Care Training and Resource Kit

This toolkit intends to help aged care volunteers access training and information. It is also for aged care Volunteer Managers and volunteer-involving organisations to help them meet their volunteer training needs.
1 minute read
Department of Health Disability and Aging
Older Volunteers, General
SEEK Volunteer
Tech

SEEK Volunteer

SEEK Volunteer helps connect people to volunteering opportunities that enrich their communities, lives and careers.
Recruitment
FreddyMatch
Tech

FreddyMatch

FreddyMatch is a web-based platform that facilitates and optimises the process of volunteering. We help match organisations and volunteers based on their unique interests, skill sets, location and availability using the “FreddyMatch” algorithm.
Volunteer database Recruitment Rostering / scheduling Onboarding / training Volunteer performance/recognition Communication / engagement Task management Compliance Reporting Resource management Social media Event management
Rosterfy
Tech

Rosterfy

Rosterfy is an end-to-end volunteer management software solution, that helps organisations streamline their volunteer management and engagement. Rosterfy offers automated solutions to manage volunteers efficiently.
Volunteer database Recruitment Rostering / scheduling Onboarding / training Volunteer performance/recognition Communication / engagement Task management Compliance Reporting Resource management Social media Event management
scheduled

Cybersecurity: Protect Yourself From Scams for NFPs

Learn to identify the red flags of sophisticated scams, from phishing to investment traps, in this practical session. We'll explore real-life case studies and provide effective strategies to protect yourself and support others in our digital world with this online session presented by Infoxchange.
Volunteering SA&NT
Free
scheduled

Write It, Win It: Grant Writing Skills for Community Volunteers - Session 2

The second of two 90-minute engaging sessions. Learn how to match ideas with the right funders, tell a compelling story, build a clear case for support, and prepare strong, realistic budgets. Walk away from engaging and interactive online sessions feeling empowered and ready to take action.
Volunteering SA&NT
Free
scheduled

Drafting a Great Volunteer Agreement - April 2026

In this webinar, we’ll explain why volunteer agreements are so important, and walk you through some of the key topics your agreements should cover. You’ll come away with our top tips for drafting, as well as our sample volunteer agreement to support you to create or improve your own.
Justice Connect's Not-for-profit Law Training
A$49.00