Nonprofit Salary Differentials: The Ethicist Weighs In - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

Nonprofit Salary Differentials: The Ethicist Weighs In - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: Dear Nonprofit Ethicist,

Our agency has a board committee that reviews personnel evaluations and makes salary recommendations to the executive director, although he is not bound to follow them. Nevertheless, when the committee developed a policy referencing a statewide, reputable salary survey of nonprofits, our staff expected salaries to be brought into line with the market. Now, four years later, our director is near the top of the executive scale while everyone else is stuck in the 25 percent to 50 percent range, although our evaluations typically exceed expectations. Our director says, “No one actually is in the 75 percent to 100 percent range, and 50 percent is the most anyone should expect.” Our agency’s finances are good and not a barrier to increasing wages. How do we increase our salaries and deflect admonitions to “just be grateful that you have a job”?

Frustrated