Nonprofit Roundtable of Greater Washington

SUPPORT THE ROUNDTABLE

ROUNDUP SIGN-UP

MEMBER BLOGS

Academy of Hope

The Capital Area Food Bank

Doorways for Women and Families

Fairfax Library Foundation

Foundation Center

Friends of Guest House

Martha's Table

Samaritan Inns

United Way of the National Capital Area

Urban Alliance Foundation

Washington Area Women's Foundation

Want to feature your blog on the blog roll? Email Malcolm

BLOGS WE LIKE

ASAE's Acronym

Bob Levey's Live United Blog

Chron of Philanthropy's Give & Take

Marketing for Nonprofits

Pete Smith's Musings on Compensation

Philanthromedia

Stanford Social Innovation Review blog

White Courtesy Telephone

Send us a blog we should consider here!

Dear Nonprofit Leader...

Written by Nana Oppong, on July 28, 2010

Something's Gotta Give

My best friend Maya has a Masters degree in Business Administration. I have a Masters degree in Public Administration. We both attended the best high schools, colleges and masters programs, excelled at every level, yet she earns twice as much as I do. Why? I chose to work for a cause, she chose to work in the for-profit sector.

A viable nonprofit sector depends on a strong support base - the staff. Overworked and underpaid staff leads to a burned out foundation that is prone to constant renovation - large turnover. Creating an attractive sector does not only depend on selling the notion of "doing good" but also on showing the value of one's work via compensation. Nonprofit wages must compete with that of the for-profit sector if we are to continue to attract and retain a talented pool of diverse millenials with a goal to lead the sector and "do good."

Readers' Comments (2)

Add your comment

Posted by Malcolm Furgol, on July 29, 2010

This is an incredibly important topic, especially during the current recession. Whether it is through compensation or through targeted professional development something does need to change for the sector to hire and retain top talent. Organizations like YNPNdc are currently researching what can be done today and I encourage you to reach out to them to share your input and ideas.

Posted by Kevin, on August 23, 2010

You are correct. In fact, understaffed / overworked non profits do more damage then anything else..I have seen this with non-profit foreclosure counseling

Washington Loan Modification