Historically, volunteers have been undervalued. At the beginning of the twentieth century, the term invisible work was used to refer to volunteer labor, domestic labor, and other non-wage-earning work. As a result, a culture of underrepresentation became the norm for the volunteer workforce. Volunteer work came to be seen as business savings rather than valuable contributions. 

As time progressed, organizations wanted to account for the contributions of their volunteers. Volunteer hours became the most popular metric for demonstrating volunteer contributions. It started with counting hours, and eventually, organizations realized the quantifiable relationship between volunteer hours and monetary savings, transactional volunteering. Independent Sector publishes state and national averages of the monetary value of one hour of volunteer time for non-professional general tasks. The 2026 report values the national rate at $36.14 and the Arizona rate at $35.27 per hour of volunteer time.  The true value of volunteer contributions cannot be measured in terms of money alone. It needs to be connected to program outcomes, mission statements, and strategic objectives. 

Both quantitative and qualitative metrics are needed to convey the full picture of how volunteers positively impact the organization by helping to meet organizational goals. Transactional volunteering needs to become strategic volunteer engagement. Then there needs to be a cultural shift, making storytelling a shared norm. Technology can provide tools to gather information as the culture shifts in this direction. The path to realizing the full potential of volunteer contributions has three recommended steps:

1. Create a volunteer management measurement plan that identifies the type of quantifiable and qualitative data necessary to give a complete picture of volunteer impact. Incorporate this information into the volunteer management plan.
2. Implement a volunteer tracking system that tracks both forms of data and aligns with the volunteer management plan and the volunteer management measurement plan. 
3. Change the climate to value volunteer contributions. Start by reviewing organizational documents, procedures, and policies to ensure that volunteer impact is appropriately represented. 

Why is it important to change the climate of nonprofit organizations to one that values volunteer contributions? It increases the likelihood that volunteers accurately account for the impact they make. A common trend in all-volunteer organizations is to get the work done, but don’t publicize it. As a result, many volunteer contributions remain “invisible work.” Therefore, it is an unrealized impact that can’t be measured, valued, or identified to stakeholders. The organization suffers without knowing it. The impact on brand recognition that volunteers could have is left untouched. But what if their stories were told? 

To change an organization's climate, the right tools need to be in place. Approaching this from a strategic perspective ensures that organizational values align with the culture shift. Start by asking questions about the value volunteers add, the impact they have on advancing the mission, and how they affect the people they touch. Think about how the story of volunteer impact is relayed to key stakeholders and donors. Are volunteers encouraged to provide testimonials, take photos, or tell stories?  Organizations that have embraced a climate that values volunteer contributions are creating a culture of lasting volunteer impact. When nonprofits measure contributions consistently and pair them with structured storytelling, volunteer commitment becomes a credible signal of effectiveness to stakeholders and a lever for culture change. 

Ann M. Joy is a 2026 graduate of the Master of Nonprofit Leadership and Management program at Arizona State University. Her volunteer work includes overseeing the City of Tombstone’s Library Summer Reading Program, supporting veterans’ organizations, and fostering community engagement. Since retiring from the Army as a Chief Warrant Officer 3 (CW3), she has been working as a substitute teacher in the Tombstone Unified School District #1 and holds a teaching credential in mathematics. 

Image by Lillian Finley

Get the most out of your volunteer programs by becoming an accredited Service Enterprise organization

Volunteers can help your organization build capacity to run its programs and introduce new ones. Training and accreditation through Service Enterprise proves that the organization is committed to the best practices of volunteer management, increasing the return on investment in volunteers, increasing operational efficiency and creating more impact in the community. 

• Building trust through storytelling in the nonprofit sector
• Access on paper, barriers in practice: Why “accessible” arts programs often fail to reach the communities they aim to serve