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Becoming a hospice volunteer coordinator — the complete role guide

The hospice volunteer coordinator recruits, trains, deploys, and supports the volunteer workforce that is required by every Medicare-certified hospice (per 42 CFR §418.78, hospices must use volunteers for at least 5% of patient-care hours). Beyond regulatory compliance, hospice volunteers are the flexible, human, community-embedded layer of hospice care.

By Goodwin Hospice Academy Editorial Team·Published February 16, 2026

A day in the life

A typical day: reviewing and matching volunteer applications, conducting new-volunteer interviews and orientation, running the 8- to 16-hour hospice volunteer training curriculum, monitoring the volunteer-hours dashboard against the 5% requirement, coordinating patient-volunteer matches with case-managing RNs and social workers, and supporting volunteers through debriefs after patient deaths.

Education & licensing

Bachelor’s degree preferred (often in social work, human services, communications, or a related field).
Experience in volunteer management, community engagement, or nonprofit administration.
Strong administrative and CRM/database skills.

Certifications

CVA — Certified in Volunteer Administration

General credential for volunteer program leaders, offered by CCVA.

Salary reference

Confirm current hospice volunteer coordinator compensation on the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Compensation is typically below clinical-role compensation but above general community-services coordinator roles.

We never publish specific compensation numbers here to avoid drift. Follow the BLS link in Sources below for current, verified data.

Entry pathway

01Build 2+ years in volunteer management, community engagement, or nonprofit administration.
02Familiarize yourself with 42 CFR §418.78 volunteer requirements.
03Apply for hospice volunteer coordinator roles.
04Pursue CVA certification within 2 years.
05Advance to director of volunteer services or expand into bereavement program leadership.

FAQ

How does a hospice meet the 5% requirement?

By tracking volunteer patient-care hours as a percentage of total patient-care hours (excluding certain administrative and inpatient hours). The volunteer coordinator maintains this dashboard and reports it in survey.

What kinds of volunteers do hospices need?

Patient-facing visitors (companionship, respite, vigil, life review), pet-therapy handlers, music/art therapy volunteers, bereavement follow-up callers, administrative volunteers, and community-outreach volunteers. Some hospices also train dedicated 11th-hour vigil volunteers.

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What is IDG?

Hospice Chaplain

Sources

Educational content only. Confirm current licensure, certification, and compensation data with the linked primary sources.