National Salary Survey for Nonprofit Professionals

April 25, 2013

Nonprofit leaders need to review the salary structure of their organizations on a regular basis. It’s a basic responsibility of the board of directors. The review ensures that compensation is appropriate and competitive for recruiting and retaining staff. Excessive executive compensation grabs the headlines, but the danger of losing key talent to other agencies is very real.

Because of the importance of reviewing salary structure, the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations has researched and reported on wages and benefits over the years, most recently in 2010. This year LANO is working with national partner Columbia Books and other state nonprofit associations to collect data across the country.

The  online survey  is open through  Tuesday, April 30  and features an easier to use instrument with 100 clear job descriptions that make matching positions simple and straightforward. A national support team is available to help if respondents have any questions.

The data collected will allow researchers to compile a robust report, which will be released this summer. It will contain specific market salary information for over 100 positions including median salaries, average salaries and more. Compensation analysis will break down salaries by title, nonprofit type, budget, and staff size. It will include easy-to-use charts and graphs and be structured as a working tool to help organizations:

  • Determine the most competitive salary level for each position to support recruitment and retention
  • Understand how the organization’s pay levels compare with others in Louisiana.
  • Track changes in nonprofit pay levels and trends from one year to the next
  • Provide hard data to support salary structure recommendations.

The report will be a useful tool for fulfilling a basic board responsibility. Click  here  to take the survey. All responses must be finalized by Tuesday, April 30.

Contributed by Cory Sparks, Ph.D., New Orleans Director of the  Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations, a statewide member organization that advocates for the nonprofit community.