A tool to quantify what volunteerism makes possible
What if every volunteer hour could reveal the full value it creates? The Return on Volunteerism tool uncovers the powerful ripple effects of service. Grounded in research and evidence-based valuation methods, it shows how volunteerism drives meaningful community outcomes, supports personal well-being, and develops the skills that help individuals and organizations thrive.
Every hour you spend volunteering creates real value. Skills-based volunteering can be worth about $220 per hour for nonprofits, while traditional hands-on volunteering contributes about $36 per hour. Either way, your community benefits.
The benefits of volunteering reach further than you might expect, touching nearly every dimension of health. Research links volunteering to stronger mental, physical, cognitive, and heart health, along with greater overall vitality and well-being.
Volunteering helps build skills that matter everywhere, especially in the workplace. From empathy and communication to leadership and problem-solving, service strengthens the human skills that are more essential than ever in an AI-enabled world.
See how your volunteer hours add up, creating community impact, supporting health and well-being, and building valuable skills along the way.
Select the number of volunteer hours you’ve completed in the past 12 months
Select the type of volunteering that best reflects your experience
View your personalized results
Together, your volunteer time and talent added up to an estimated $4,863.50 in community impact. By giving both your time and expertise, you helped create meaningful value for nonprofits and the communities they support.
Even a modest amount of volunteering can give your brain meaningful exercise. By showing up, connecting with others, and solving real-world needs, you are engaging in the kind of social and mental activity research links with healthier cognitive aging over time.
Your volunteer time may support heart health in indirect but important ways. Helping others can add purpose, movement, and connection to your routine — factors often associated with healthier stress levels and overall well-being.
Volunteering can help you stay active in everyday ways — walking, preparing, organizing, setting up, or simply getting out and involved. Those small movements and routines can support energy, mobility, and overall physical vitality.
Volunteering can support mental well-being by creating moments of connection, purpose, and contribution. Even a small number of hours can remind you that your time matters and that helping others can also lift your own outlook.
Your volunteer time is a positive step toward vitality — the energy, connection, and sense of purpose that help people feel and function well. Every hour of helping others can also be an investment in your own well-being.
You’re off to a strong start. Every time you volunteer, you’re building skills that grow through experience, working with others, adapting to new situations, and helping where it’s needed most. Along the way, you’re strengthening communication, empathy, and problem-solving skills that can serve you in every part of life.
You’re putting your expertise to work in a meaningful way. By sharing your skills with a nonprofit, you’re finding new ways to communicate, collaborate, and solve problems. Your knowledge is creating immediate value while helping you grow, too.
Whether you're taking your first step or building a company-wide program,
here are some resources to guide you.
