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Volunteer Value and Cost Calculators

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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

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Volunteer benefits calculator from Volunteering WA
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Value of volunteering from Volunteering SA and NT
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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