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Lodestar Center releases Nonprofit Compensation, Benefits Report


January 10, 2011

The ASU Lodestar Center for Philanthropy and Nonprofit Innovation released its 2010 Nonprofit Compensation and Benefits Report for Maricopa County and Pima County nonprofit organizations today. The 73-page report contains compensation data across 58 different nonprofit job categories, as well as findings on employee retirement, insurance, and paid days off. It also details salary and demographic information on nonprofit executive directors.

This is the fourth publication in the nonprofit compensation research series conducted by the ASU Lodestar Center. The Center researches and reports on nonprofit compensation and benefits every three years; the report is designed to help nonprofit organizations make decisions regarding hiring, salaries, and benefits. The study was last published in 2007; this is the second time the study has included Pima County.

“Our report reveals important data that is not otherwise available when looking specifically at Arizona-based nonprofits within the urban centers of our state,” said Robert F. Ashcraft, executive director of the center and professor of nonprofit studies in ASU's School of Community Resources and Development. “Employees are the most valuable asset of any nonprofit organization, and having this comparative data helps leaders secure and keep their talent. Therefore, there is a high demand for this type of research,” Ashcraft added.

The report is an aggregation and analysis of data reported by 243 nonprofit organizations; data were collected on a total of 10,307 employees.  The findings are critical to nonprofit managers to remain competitive in an environment marked by a small pipeline of experienced practitioners.

“The Nonprofit Compensation and Benefits Report provides important reference points for nonprofit organizations,” said Deborah J. Gilpin, president and CEO of the Children's Museum of Phoenix. “I’ve been eagerly awaiting its release, knowing that this critical information can help us attract and retain the best possible staff given the resources we have.”

The report also reveals interesting trends within the sector. The median executive director salary is $92,250, although executive director compensation varies widely based on organization budget size and type. The findings on nonprofit executive directors show a gradual shift away from the predominance of female executive directors in smaller nonprofits and male executive directors in larger ones.  

A large majority of nonprofit executive directors are female (64 percent), and the only category in which nonprofits are more likely to have a male executive director was that of the $10 million or higher annual budget category, in which 63 percent of executive directors are male.    

"As a non-profit executive in Pima County, it is important that I am able to be competitive with my peers in salaries and benefits, in order to hire the most qualified employees as well as make sure I reduce turnover of current staff,” said Sue Krahe, executive director of Our Family Services. “Research in this arena helps all nonprofits better plan for the future. The ASU Lodestar Center plays an important role by obtaining the information and making it useable."

The 2010 Nonprofit Compensation and Benefits Report is available to nonprofit organizations for $150, and $300 for all other organizations and individuals. A brief highlight of the report is available on the center’s website. Organizations that provided information for the survey will receive a complimentary copy.

Sources:
Robert F. Ashcraft
ashcraft@asu.edu
602-496-0500

Stephanie La Loggia
stephanie.laloggia@asu.edu
602-496-0153

Media contact:
Jill Watts
jill.watts@asu.edu
602-496-0189

Dana Berchman
dana.berchman@asu.edu
602-496-0406