Your Volunteer Service is Priceless!

According to The Independent Sector’s Value of Volunteer Time Report, released in April 2023, the estimated national value of each volunteer hour Is: $31.80. The report goes on to state: “Volunteers in the United States hold up the foundation of civil society. They help their neighbors, serve their communities, and provide their expertise. No matter what kind of volunteer work they do, they are contributing in invaluable ways.”[i]

Those who volunteer to serve others—typically through nonprofit agencies, faith-based organizations, and governmental institutions (as well as the informal neighbor-to-neighbor connections) are often those providing necessary love and care, listening, assisting those in need, being the face of warm welcome, offering comfort and kindness while they are also doing things like aiding victims, tutoring, mentoring, sorting food, writing software, doing repairs, leading workshops, writing curriculum, coaching, event-planning and execution, supporting those in recovery, providing transportation, cooking meals, running sound systems, taking photos, navigating social media, providing security, serving on Boards…the list is truly endless!

This engagement with the community is often because people want to give and to give back. It is rooted in gratitude and in a desire to be part of seeing things improve. It grows from having a learning and an outward-facing mentality. In a word, most people volunteer out of love for their neighbor and their community.

So, in the end, your value as a volunteer cannot be quantified as $31.80 per hour. You are priceless. Your service is priceless. Your contribution to the health and well-being of your community is priceless.

Shirley Giles Davis is a consultant, coach, facilitator who has worked with a diversity of teams, leaders, and organizations locally, nationally, and internationally for over 35 years. She specializes in collaborative dialogue around a variety of subjects, with the goal of assisting every client in identifying priorities, becoming increasingly self-aware and deepening other-awareness, pursuing goals, overcoming obstacles, leaning into strengths, growing to greater health and skill, finding clarity, and, ultimately, flourishing. Contact Shirley. 

Photo © Shirley Giles Davis.

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[i] https://independentsector.org/resource/value-of-volunteer-time/