A Fair Salary + Connection to Mission = Nonprofit Job Satisfaction

December 18, 2007 | Next Generation Leadership, Nonprofit Management, Now Generation Leadership, Philanthropy

Today’s math problem comes from “M”, who blogs at Inside Foundations. She is a Program Associate with a foundation and gives us insight into what makes philanthropy a dream job, and what makes it suck. For anyone who is wondering what makes the next generation of nonprofit leaders happy, “M” would say that first of all, you can start with adequate compensation and the chance to be a part of the mission:

Frankly, my job quite often sucked over the last quarter. Crazy work loads, a lack of respect from some people. But staffing changes have been made, structure changes have been made, and quite frankly, the salary adjustment for the position so that it would actually fall closer to the median of what PA gets paid, according to the COF Salary Survey, really helped. Being at the bottom of the program staff can be hard, especially when it is a relatively new position in the organization, and they are not sure what to do with it.

But the past few weeks have been improving, and today, today really just tops it off. When you get to “do your job” – it feels magnificent. And I do love where I work, and I see some very exciting things I can be a part of.

What about you, dear readers – what are some other things that would make you happier in your nonprofit job?

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Tags: Generation Y, Human Resources, Nonprofit Leadership Pipeline, Philanthropy

twdurso

Spot-on, Rosetta. I think most in nonprofit recognize and accept that salaries simply aren't as high as in the for-profit sector. What they don't want is to feel taken advantage of. It's not an exorbitant salary, but a fair one, they seek.

Tom Durso
http://www.501cfiles.com
Elisa

I agree on all three points: connection to mission, a fair salary and a good boss make up much of my personal equation for job satisfaction. The other item that I need to have is respect. It connects to salary and a good boss to some extent, but also includes the feeling that my opinion matters and that I have a say in organizational/programmatic decisions. I don't really understand why an organization would hire you if it has no level of respect or trust in your abilities, but its happened to me before.
Anonymous

I think who my boss is makes all the difference in the world. I took a pay cut to work for a wonderful boss (who I had worked for in the past), who I knew would both value my work and challenge me to grow.