• Where can I learn more about recruiting and managing volunteers for my nonprofit? 
• Where can I find or post volunteer opportunities?
• What is the monetary value of volunteer time?
• Is the value of volunteer time tax-deductible?
• Staff Recommended resources

Recruiting and managing volunteers effectively is similar to doing the same for employees. Things to consider include:

• Organizational support, training, and preparation to involve volunteers
• Developing and marketing volunteer opportunities
• Screening and matching volunteers for your nonprofit's needs
• Risk management and legal issues
• Evaluation, record-keeping, and accountability
• Recognition, retention, and motivation
• Volunteer activism and advocacy

While this seems like much effort, nonprofits benefit from volunteers because they, according to the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service:

• Help your organization meet its mission and better serve the community
• Demonstrate community investment and endorsement
• Help you reach new audiences and donors
• Often become individual donors, or even staff
• Can do things staff cannot do regarding public policy, like endorse your organization to public officials, in editorial pages, as well as comment publicly on legislation or political candidates (as long as they act as individuals, not representatives of your nonprofit)
• May be preferred over staff by certain population groups you might serve

As nonprofit organizations strive to provide services on smaller budgets in the current economy, volunteers have become even more vital to their ability to meet their missions. AmeriCorps reports that in 2021, more than 60.7 million Americans volunteered for 4.1 billion hours of service, a contribution with an estimated economic value of $122.9 billion. More than 124.7 million Americans helped their neighbors during the pandemic.

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Where can I find or post volunteer opportunities?

If you're looking for volunteer opportunities, start with organizations whose causes you support. Your school, workplace, or place of worship is also are good place to start inquiring. 

If you want to post volunteer opportunities, use your communication channels -- website, email, social media, etc. Many websites, local and national, are also available to search for volunteer opportunities.  

Below are selected websites that often provide searchable lists and will assist you or your organization in making a difference in your community. 

You might also contact local organizations that train and match volunteers with nonprofits, such as: 

• Some United Way chapters 
• Points of Light
• Idealist.org
• VolunteerMatch
• Catchafire
• Colleges and universities that have nonprofit management programs or classes in the specialty you need, e.g., grant writing courses, professors might match students with local nonprofits to provide practical experience 

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What is the monetary value of volunteer time?

Every April, Independent Sector publishes an estimated national value of each volunteer hour. This page includes historical national data and the value of volunteers’ contributions by state or territory. 

For more statistics on volunteers in the US, see Volunteering in America, compiled by the Corporation for National and Community Service. 

Nonprofits typically use the value of volunteer time to demonstrate the support they receive from their communities. Independent Sector advises that if your organization plans to report the value of volunteer services in external financial statements, including grant proposals, you will need to follow generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), established by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB), which state: 

Contributions of services shall be recognized if the services received (a) create or enhance nonfinancial assets; or (b) require specialized skills, are provided by individuals possessing those skills, and would typically need to be purchased if not provided by donation. Services requiring specialized skills are provided by accountants, architects, carpenters, doctors, electricians, lawyers, nurses, plumbers, teachers, and other professionals and craftsmen. 

The IRS says nonprofits cannot report volunteer time as contributions in line 1 of Parts II or III of Form 990, Schedule A. Volunteer time can be described in Form 990, Part III, Statement of Program Service Accomplishments. 

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Is the value of volunteer time tax-deductible?

As with all questions having to do with tax law, please consult a legal, tax, or accounting professional for definitive answers to your specific question(s).  

If your volunteers ask whether they can deduct the value of the time they give your organization on their U.S. tax forms, say no. 

Volunteers who provide professional services for free to a qualifying nonprofit organization cannot claim a tax deduction for the value of their time or services. 

They might be able to deduct uniforms, transportation, or other documented, unreimbursed, out-of-pocket expenses that they paid to volunteer. But they cannot deduct donations to blood banks or income lost while volunteering. 

Please see IRS Publication 526: Charitable Contributions for specific examples of what expenses they can and cannot deduct. 

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