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 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


More like this

Information

Using Plain Language to Improve Accessibility

This information, guide and weblinks explains plain language principles for clear and inclusive communication. It includes tips for using everyday words, structuring sentences, and providing definitions.
1 minute read
The Knowledge Base, Volunteering ACT, The Centre for Volunteering, Volunteering Queensland, Volunteering SA&NT, Volunteering Tasmania, Volunteering Victoria, Volunteering WA
General
Volunteer Resources

Financial and other reporting resources

Registered charities have obligations to the Australian Charities and Not for Profits Commission (ACNC) including reporting financial and other information and keeping records. This range of useful resources to help you understand the ACNC's reporting obligations and what is required for a charity.
1 minute read
Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission
General
Articles & Reports

Rights and Responsibilities

This article outlines the rights and responsibilities of both volunteers and volunteer organisations.
1 minute read
The Knowledge Base, The Centre for Volunteering
General
Emergency Support Volunteering website
Tech

Emergency Support Volunteering website

The Emergency Support Volunteering website allows volunteers in Western Australia to register to help in emergencies, organisations needing support can also register to contact volunteers for assistance.
Volunteer database Recruitment Reporting
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
INVOLVE
Tech

INVOLVE

INVOLVE is a flexible and fully-featured volunteer management technology app, centred around your volunteers.
Volunteer database Rostering / scheduling Onboarding / training Volunteer performance/recognition Communication / engagement Task management Compliance Reporting Event management
scheduled

National Standards Deep Dive: Standard 3

Take a deep dive into Standard 3 of the National Standards for Volunteer Involvement
The Centre for Volunteering
Free
scheduled

National Standards Deep Dive: Standard 6

The Centre for Volunteering
Free
scheduled

Rethinking Volunteer Development and Training

Take a second look at volunteer development and training with the Sector Development Coordinator, Tony Ward
The Centre for Volunteering
Free