In recent years there has been much discussion about income inequality in the United States. The pay of CEOs has increased drastically while the wages of ordinary workers have stagnated, going from a 27-to-1 ratio in 1980 to an 87-to-1 ratio in 2016 (Fortune). This...
While the world of nonprofits is known for favoring altruism and the public good, all employees still expect to earn fair compensation for their labor. When it comes to interviewing for a nonprofit position, the topic of salary and compensation is an understandable...
Any negotiation can make a person bristle or raise blood pressure. In fact, how many people admit they’ll do anything to avoid having to negotiate, haggle or even ask for anything? And, don’t we tend to sit back in awe of those who seem to have the guts to do it? But, is it really that these people have nerves of steel? Or, are they simply armed in ways others could be but aren’t? This is an important issue when it comes to negotiating a salary. So, when you’re in the position to talk money, make certain you are prepared.
Question: I am a highly qualified financial manager who just moved across the country for family reasons. The location where I am presently located has much lower salaries than the DC area from where I relocated. I cannot move back to DC to take advantage of the salary scale there. At the same time, what is offered in this jurisdiction is well below what I can afford. I am used to receiving between $150k and $175K per annum, and the offers I have received have come in at $80K or less. What can I do to address this issue?
My recent one-hour interview went very well. It is an exciting opportunity for the right person, and what they propose is a needed initiative in the community. My challenge is that the position pays $80K with full benefits, but I currently earn almost $140K per annum. A $60K drop would be a financial disaster as I wouldn’t be able to afford my mortgage let alone other necessary bills. I did not react to this figure. Help!
Q: I have made it to the second round of interviews for a position that interests me, and I need to address salary. I am a female executive with 20 years’ of solid, leadership experience. How should I go about approaching this sensitive issue?
During the past 30 years, the nonprofit world has grown tremendously, and it is now also considered a much more “glamorous” career path than when I began in it. I, along with many others, just “fell” into it. Now, it is more of a chosen and planned career path, and the sector is attracting more people who have put thought and study into ideas, philosophies and missions through post-graduate programs in nonprofit and public sector studies.
But, I, and many hiring and recruiting professionals, feel the interest explosion and rapid onset of attraction to the sector has also given people an unrealistic expectation about the compensation to expect within it.
For the vast majority of the country’s more than 1.2 million registered 501(c)(3) organizations, the development function, and therefore development professionals, has always been of critical importance.