PASSION ISN'T A PAYCHECK

"I don't know what I would do without you!"

"This would not have been possible without you!"

"What are you doing these days?...I have a position for you!"

I have heard these sentiments from not just one, not just two, but several organizations!

Despite their glowing feedback and overflowing compliments, the conversations about increased compensation were always met with surprise and hesitation. The underlying and unspoken thoughts were always a mix of:

"Aren't you passionate about the cause? Don't you care?"

"It shouldn't be about the money!"

"I can find someone else for less."

The reassurance that you are indispensable, valuable, and an asset to the team suddenly dissipates once you broach the subject of appropriate and deserved wages.

Perhaps some of the most frustrating AND verbalized statements I've heard are:

"I don't even make that much!"

"This is the industry standard."

There are a number of issues to unpack here, but we will focus on a few.

1. I can't pay my bills with passion for a cause.

2. The industry standard is a massive issue in the nonprofit world! Just because it is the standard does not mean it is right.

3. They can find someone for less, but they will not find someone with the same level of both academic and actual experience.

1. PASSION ISN'T A PAYCHECK

Trust me, I've tried!

With the support of my husband, we moved in with family in order to save on rent and utilities so I could take a $20K pay cut because I was so passionate about the cause. I was willing to sacrifice and scrape by for the love of the work and the love of the clients I worked with. 

As much as I wish I could do the work I do for free, low pay was just not sustainable. My sister (with a husband and four growing kids) would have let me stay as long as I needed, but we were outgrowing the space and saving money to move out was difficult.

A few years after working for that organization, I broached the subject of a pay increase (beyond the small percentage already offered to me), and I was met with utter shock! I made the decision to leave, and while I was in the midst of transitioning out of the organization, they posted three to four new job postings to fill my one position...3 to 4! I did the work of all of those positions. Not only that, they all had a starting salary almost 10K more than I was making! To top it all off, the job description even said something along the lines of, "If you're taking a 20K pay cut, this job is not for you."

I was incredulous to say the least!

I was naive at best but, in reality, incredibly foolish and trusting. I learned a lot from that moment, but still had so much to learn! 

Within a few months of leaving, they offered me double my original pay to come back. This showed me that they, in fact, could have paid me more but because I had originally settled for less thought they could continue to pay me less. My departure also revealed the true value of what I brought to the organization, something they took for granted and maybe didn't even realize until I had left.

The truth is, many individuals who can afford to open up a nonprofit (whether because of individual or family wealth or because of network connections) can afford to take little to no pay or wait a few years to take a salary. Unfortunately, those of us like myself who are doing the work...simply cannot. 

2. IT'S THE INDUSTRY STANDARD

Let's be clear. Educators and nonprofit workers are severely underpaid. Niche organizations like anti-human trafficking organizations are paid even less. "Industry-standard" is the reason employers continue to get away with paying their employees barely livable wages. It also prevents opportunities for growth because most higher-level salaries in nonprofits are what individuals first entering the job market are making.

According to Glassdoor, the median entry-level pay for someone working in a nonprofit is $57K with a range from $47K-69K. For those in my state, it is significantly lower. For someone with 10-14 years of experience, the median pay is $77K with a range from $61K-98K.

Unfortunately, these numbers are more than likely skewed by large multi-million dollar nonprofits and not reflective of smaller, local nonprofits. These numbers also do not take into account the level of education or the role/title of the individual. I cannot imagine many corporate leaders with over 10 years experience accepting a salary in that range.

I know what many people are thinking. Well...it's a nonprofit. They don't make much. If you want to make more, move sectors. Unfortunately, many nonprofits are struggling, but many more nonprofits are not spending honestly or properly and/or not investing in their workforce appropriately. Furthermore, changing sectors does not fix the problem.

Funding for Good articulates it well, "Nonprofit is a tax status, NOT a business model. Nonprofits ARE businesses. Let's all take a moment and say that again: Nonprofits ARE businesses."

The term "nonprofit" should not be synonymous with "low pay."

According to the World Population Review, the average household in the United States spends $61,334 a year on expenses, and the living wage for a family of four is $68,808. In my experience with smaller nonprofits, the average salary for a managerial position (not on the director level) ranges from $35K-$55K.

I'm not great at math...but even I can see that the math isn't mathing!

3. THEY CAN FIND SOMEONE ELSE FOR LESS