Volunteer Hours Log

A volunteer hours log — date, hours, and activity per entry with an automatic total, plus volunteer/organization details and a supervisor verification signature.

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VOLUNTEER HOURS LOG

Volunteer:     Sample Volunteer
Organization:  Riverside Community Food Bank
Period:        2026
Purpose:       School community-service requirement (40 hours)

   DATE          HOURS      ACTIVITY                          [VERIFIED]
   --------------------------------------------------------------------------
   2026-01-11    3 hrs      Sorting and packing donated food   [RB]
   2026-01-25    4 hrs      Distribution event — front desk   [RB]
   2026-02-08    2.5 hrs    Warehouse inventory count   [TM]
   2026-02-22    4 hrs      Loading delivery trucks   [RB]
   2026-03-07    3.5 hrs    Community garden setup   [TM]
   --------------------------------------------------------------------------
   TOTAL HOURS:  17

VERIFICATION
I confirm the volunteer hours recorded above are accurate to the best of my knowledge.

Supervisor: Riley Brooks, Volunteer Coordinator

_____________________________     Date: ____________________
Supervisor signature

_____________________________     Date: ____________________
Sample Volunteer, Volunteer

About this template

A volunteer hours log is a simple but surprisingly important record: schools, courts (for community-service orders), scholarship programs, honor societies, and employers' volunteer-grant programs all commonly require a signed account of hours served. The two things that make a log credible are **specificity and verification**: each entry should have a date, the number of hours, and a short description of the actual activity, and the total should be confirmed by a supervisor or coordinator who can vouch for it. A running **total** is the number everyone actually wants — whether you are chasing a 40-hour school requirement or documenting a court-ordered amount — so this template adds up your entries automatically as you log them. One point that trips people up at tax time: **the value of volunteer time is not tax-deductible.** You cannot deduct an hourly rate for hours donated to a charity. What *may* be deductible (if you itemize and the organization is a qualified 501(c)(3)) are your unreimbursed out-of-pocket costs and mileage driven for the charity, at the IRS charitable mileage rate — keep separate receipts for those. For court-ordered service, follow the exact form and signatory the court specifies; a generic log may not satisfy them. Otherwise, keep the log current (fill it in the same day, while details are fresh), have your supervisor initial entries or sign the total, and keep a copy for your records.

When to use it

  • Tracking hours for a school or college community-service requirement.
  • Documenting court-ordered community service (check the court's required form too).
  • Recording hours for scholarships, honor societies, or service awards.
  • Logging hours for an employer volunteer-grant or matching program.

What to include

  • Volunteer name, organization, and the period/year.
  • Per entry: date, hours, and a specific activity description.
  • Supervisor initials per entry and a verification signature.
  • An automatic total of hours.
  • The purpose of the log (e.g., a required hour target).

Frequently asked

No. The IRS does not allow a deduction for the value of your time or services donated to a charity. If you itemize and the organization is a qualified 501(c)(3), you may deduct unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses and mileage driven for the charity (IRS Pub. 526) — but not an hourly value for the hours themselves. Keep receipts for expenses separately from this hours log.
⚠ Legal disclaimer. This volunteer hours log is a record-keeping template, not legal or tax advice. Volunteer time is not tax-deductible (only certain unreimbursed expenses/mileage for a qualified charity may be — see IRS Pub. 526). For court-ordered service, confirm and use the court's required form and signatory.
Jurisdiction: United States / general — a personal/organizational record of volunteer hours, not a legal or tax document. Volunteer TIME is not tax-deductible; only unreimbursed out-of-pocket expenses and mileage for a qualified charity may be (IRS Pub. 526). A supervisor signature helps verify hours for school, court-ordered, or scholarship requirements.
Last reviewed: 2026-05
Reviewed by ScoutMyTool — consult a licensed attorney for binding use.

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