Hospital Volunteer Statistics (2026): Volunteer Supply, Hours, Value & the Screening Gap

Hospitals rely on volunteers for patient escorts, information desks, pet therapy, gift shops, and comfort visits, yet hospital volunteer work is rarely measured in one place. This report pulls together national survey data, the Independent Sector hour value, and published figures from individual hospital volunteer programs, then explains what those numbers mean for background screening. It is part of our statistics hub, and it is written for nonprofit and church leaders who recruit or manage volunteers in or around healthcare settings.

Key takeaways

National volunteering: how many people give time through organizations?

The most rigorous national benchmark is the federal Civic Engagement and Volunteering survey. Every two years, the Census Bureau partners with AmeriCorps to conduct a comprehensive survey of civic engagement across the United States. Its 2023 wave showed that the 2023 national volunteering rate remains 1.7 percentage points below pre-pandemic levels , according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Women and men still differ: women volunteer at a higher rate (30.9 percent) than men (25.6 percent) in the latest data. Use these rates as context for your own volunteer pool, not as a hospital-specific figure.

The post-pandemic rebound in formal volunteering

Participation fell sharply during COVID-19 and has been climbing back since. The formal volunteering rate dropped seven percentage points, from 30 percent in 2019 to 23 percent in 2021. The recovery came quickly after that low point. The national formal volunteering rate increased 5.1 percentage points between 2022 and 2023, representing a growth rate of more than 22 percent in just two years. Hospitals felt the drop locally too: at one Charleston-area academic medical campus, a volunteer manager estimated about 600 volunteers serve now, down from 700 before the pandemic. The same KFF report describes an island hospital auxiliary where a president estimated that 60% of the group's volunteers who left during the pandemic haven't returned. That is a single organization's estimate, so treat it as a warning sign, not a national rate.

What hospitals report about their volunteer corps

Hospital-level numbers vary widely by size and model. Large academic and health-system programs publish their headcounts. Massachusetts General Hospital says that each year, over 1100 volunteers provide approximately 60,000 hours of service to patients, families and visitors. Memorial Healthcare System reports over 900 volunteers give back through community service across our six hospitals and skilled nursing home . The Johns Hopkins Hospital lists 730+ Volunteers contribute to our mission and vision every year , and its suburban campus lists 180+ Volunteers contribute to our mission and vision every year .

Volunteer programs also tend to sit inside a formal department. The AHA's annual survey defines a volunteer services department as an organized hospital unit that coordinates volunteers working inside the facility, which is why many hospitals track these programs as a line item. Smaller programs can be much leaner. One Charleston-area hospital coordinator oversees roughly 50 volunteers , which shows how a small coordinator team can still deliver a large workload.

Hours of service and the scale of donated time

Volunteer hours, not headcount, show the real labor contribution. The same Massachusetts General figure lists about 60,000 hours a year, while Memorial Healthcare System reports 100,424 annual volunteer hours for 2025/2026, and Johns Hopkins reports 100,000+ Volunteer Hours served by our volunteers in 2025. A community hospital in South Carolina states that its volunteers contribute an estimated 133,000 hours annually , which is an estimate rather than a verified audit figure.

Scale also shows up in research on multi-hospital samples. An earlier study of 105 hospitals used a total of 39,008 volunteers and 5.3 million volunteer hours during a 12-month period between 2010 and 2011. National labor data point the same way: between September 2009 and September 2010, 5 million Americans volunteered in hospitals and healthcare organizations , according to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures cited in a Cornell review. Older data, but useful for trend context.

The economic value of hospital volunteer time

Independent Sector and the Do Good Institute set the benchmark most nonprofits use. Independent Sector and the Do Good Institute estimate that the value of a volunteer hour was $36.14 in 2025 — a 3.9% increase from 2024. The 2025 figure is preliminary, and the estimate is a replacement-cost measure, not a price tag on each role. Independent Sector notes that the figure is an estimate of replacement cost for an average volunteer hour, not a precise price tag on every role . For the broader volunteer economy, formal volunteers served an estimated 4.99 billion hours and contributed over $167.2 billion in economic value between September 2022 and 2023.

For hospitals specifically, a KHN analysis of federal and Independent Sector data found that health system benefits from potentially more than $5 billion in free volunteer labor annually . A Toronto-area study of 31 hospitals reported an average of $6.84 in value from volunteers for every dollar spent—a return on investment of 684%. That ratio comes from a Canadian sample and an older period, so use it as directional evidence.

Screening: what hospitals require and why it matters

Screening is where hospital volunteer programs differ most from typical nonprofits. For adult volunteers, these requirements typically include comprehensive background checks, health screenings or proof of immunization and mandatory training sessions. Requirements are often set in layers. These requirements vary by state and by facility type, but they consistently require: a criminal background check, verification of professional licensure for any volunteer performing clinical functions, and a documented process for reviewing results before a volunteer has patient contact. Federal rules also reach volunteers. One compliance guide notes that volunteer background checks within healthcare must cover the same exclusion lists, as they may still be considered a risk to patient safety.

Process matters as much as the check itself. Many hospitals make the volunteer assignment conditional on a clean result. One hospital handbook says that moving from prospect to active is conditional based upon successful completion of a background check. Another hospital runs a level I background check immediately after the interview and performs it free of charge to new volunteers. Regardless of the vendor, the Fair Credit Reporting Act applies to third-party checks, so you need written consent before you order one, as the volunteer must be made aware of the check and provide written consent for the background check, as per the F