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Volunteers and board members are the heart of many nonprofits. They give their time, expertise, and often even their own money to support the mission. But when it comes to reimbursing them, many organizations don’t have a clear process in place. 

That can lead to confusion, delays, or even compliance problems. For example, a board member might pay for conference travel without realizing pre-approval was required, or a volunteer might submit receipts months late, throwing off your budget reports. 

Creating a clear, consistent approach to volunteer and board member expense reimbursement ensures fairness, speeds up payments, and shows donors that every dollar is handled responsibly. Here’s how nonprofits can manage these expenses with confidence. 

Define What Counts as Reimbursable 

Start with a written policy that clearly outlines which expenses are eligible for reimbursement. This prevents confusion and ensures everyone is treated fairly. 

Examples of Reimbursable Expenses 

• Travel: Mileage (at an approved rate), airfare, parking, taxis/rideshare, tolls 

• Lodging: Reasonably priced accommodations for approved travel 

• Meals: Related to official meetings, events, or travel days 

• Conference Fees: When attending on behalf of the organization 

Examples of Non-Reimbursable Expenses 

• Personal travel, upgrades, or companion travel 

• Alcohol or luxury purchases 

• Expenses outside of the organization’s mission or without prior approval 

A clear policy removes guesswork and reduces the risk of covering unallowable costs. It also helps your finance team stay compliant with grant and donor restrictions. 

Sample Volunteer and Board Member Expense Reimbursement Policy 

Purpose: To ensure fair and consistent reimbursement of expenses incurred by volunteers and board members while supporting the mission of [Organization Name]. 

Eligible Expenses: Reasonable costs for travel (mileage at the current approved rate, airfare, parking, tolls), lodging, meals related to official meetings or events, and conference registration fees when attending on behalf of the organization. 

Non-Eligible Expenses: Personal travel, alcohol, luxury accommodations, unapproved expenses, or costs unrelated to the organization’s mission. 

Documentation: Itemized receipts must be submitted with all reimbursement requests, along with a brief description of the purpose of the expense. Requests must be submitted within 30 days of the expense date. 

Approval & Payment: All requests will be reviewed by [Approver Title/Role] and processed within 10 business days of approval. 

This sample policy gives your team a starting point that you can adapt to your organization’s needs. 

Document Every Expense 

The key to compliant volunteer and board member expense reimbursement is thorough documentation. Every claim should include: 

• Itemized receipts with vendor, date, and amount 

• Purpose of the expense — how it supported the mission 

• Pre-approval documentation for large or unusual expenses 

Provide a simple reimbursement form or digital submission process to make this easy. If possible, align your documentation rules with staff reimbursement requirements so the process is consistent across the organization. 

Set Clear Approval and Payment Workflows 

Volunteers and board members should know who reviews and approves their expenses, and when they can expect reimbursement. 

Best Practices 

• Approval Authority: Define whether expenses are approved by the program lead, executive director, or finance committee chair. 

• Submission Window: Require expenses to be submitted within a set timeframe (e.g., 30 days after the expense is incurred). 

• Payment Window: Communicate when reimbursements will be processed (e.g., within 10 business days of approval). 

Clear timelines keep reimbursements predictable and prevent delays that can frustrate volunteers and board members. Watch our on-demand webinar on employee expenses and credit card reconciliation to see how finance teams can make this process more efficient. 

Train and Communicate 

Volunteers and board members may not have the same financial training as staff, so take time to explain how reimbursement works. 

• Provide a one-page guide that explains what’s reimbursable, how to submit expenses, and whom to contact with questions. 

• Share the policy during board orientation or volunteer onboarding. 

• Keep the policy easy to find — post it on a board portal, intranet, or in printed welcome packets. 

Proactive communication reduces errors and helps non-staff contributors feel confident about submitting expenses. 

Use Technology to Simplify Reimbursement 

Manual reimbursement processes can create delays and increase the risk of lost documentation. Consider using expense management software that allows: 

• Mobile receipt capture: Volunteers and board members can snap a picture of a receipt on the spot. 

• Online submission forms: No more scanning and emailing spreadsheets. 

• Automated approval routing: Expenses are sent directly to the correct approver. 

• Integration with your general ledger: Finance staff don’t have to rekey data. 

These tools save time for everyone involved and create a complete, searchable audit trail. 

With mySparkrock, staff, volunteers, and board members can submit receipts instantly from their phones, track approvals in real time, and ensure expenses post directly to the right accounts.

Connect Reimbursement to Stewardship and Trust 

Strong expense policies reflect your organization’s dedication to responsible financial management. 

• They reassure donors and funders that resources are used responsibly. 

• They show volunteers and board members that their contributions — financial and otherwise — are respected. 

• They make audits and financial reviews faster, reducing organizational risk. 

Transparency in expense management builds credibility with everyone who supports your mission. 

Final Thoughts 

Volunteers and board members are critical to advancing your nonprofit’s mission, and reimbursing their legitimate expenses is one way to support them. By defining reimbursable expenses, setting documentation requirements, creating clear approval workflows, and using technology to simplify the process, you can make reimbursement easy, consistent, and compliant. 

Ready to simplify how you handle volunteer and board expenses? Schedule a 15-minute chat with our team to see how Sparkrock helps nonprofits manage reimbursement policies, automate approvals, and keep expense records audit-ready.