Unethical Non-Profit Behavior
I am currently pursuing a certificate in non-profit fundraising. One of the workshops I took focused on effective budgeting. After three hours, I left the workshop disillusioned and frustrated with the idea of working in a non profit.
Many of the behaviors that define non profits are not merely accidental. They are actively encouraged to keep costs low. The Nonprofiteer lists them below:
Staffing issues identified by respondents to the Nonprofit Quarterly survey–in descending order:
-retention is difficult (receiving by far the greatest number of responses);
-benefits and wages are a concern . . . .
-recruitment is difficult . . . .
-The organization is faced with underperformance of staff members.”
To combat legitimate concerns about respect and adequate pay for people doing work that essentially holds the nation together, people offer what I consider an intellectually lazy argument: “You dont do non profit work for the money.”
It’s time to bury that argument.
Firstly, there are plenty of non profit workers who make exorbitant amounts of money. These people are usually CEOs/executive directors. Their pay is rarely disputed since it is argued that their pay match what their skills are worth in the general market. Does this logic only hold true when you reach senior management? What about the myriad of positions under that which require skills that are no where near being matched?
And quite frankly I find it unethical that many non profits will lobby for living/fair wages for the poor yet refuse to offer the same to its employees. It is hypocritical and quite frankly poor business. Why do non-profits insist on acting as though basic standards of employee appreciation do not apply to them because they are “in the business of saving people”? If you don’t compensate us according to our skills and the work we do, why would you be surprised at poor performance, lack of motivation, poor retention and recruitment? If a for-profit business treated its employees this way, there would be (and has been) outrage.
The goal should be to increase the number of people committed to social justice—not drive us into the arms of corporations or the government.
Thankfully, my generation is growing increasingly intolerant of this. We want to work, but work will not be the end all, be all of our lives. We believe in our worth and demand to be fairly compensated. We have no problem leaving places where we don’t feel appreciated and have no problem asking questions—essentially questioning the top-dog, “be seen and not heard” method of working with and treating young employees.
A litany has been written about what we want and non profits are not exempt from the new changes that we are bringing to the workforce. They would be wise to pay attention and change
Thank you for acknowledging this!!! I have recently received my undergraduate degree and am working non-profit. I do direct outreach work with clients that are in public-housing and that are homeless. I’ve always felt a deep need to contribute to the greater good. But now I am wondering if I can afford the cost both in financial and emotional terms. I live in a metropolitan area where a 2 bedroom apartment will run you 1,500 on average. I am making the 14.00 dollars an hour or roughly 29,000 a year. After school I owe 30,000 in student loans. The stress of the job is weighing too. The clients take out there frustrations with the inadequate resources on you and upper management is constantly putting pressure on you to have your clients produce results. I also feel like my organization only cares about their workers to a certain point. I derive this based on various cases of non-support I have witnessed co-workers endure.
I just feel like those of us that work to help the poor aren’t that far from being in the same boat as those we are trying to help. I spent this morning sobbing because I am so worried about money. I am scraping by. I have no savings and god forbid I had an emergency like a medical problem. I would be done for. Who is there for us ? Those that help the down and out- Who will be there for us when we are down and out? I’m not asking for a fat bank account. I just want to feel safe. I want some respect and acknowledgment. I did all the things they tell you to do. I went to school. Got some experience in my field before getting out. I followed my passion. I’ve been living frugally. It’s not enough and there is no one there to help me.
There is this song that I love. The lyrics kinda sum it up.
“Working for the church while your life falls apart, singing hallelujah with the fear in your heart, every spark of friendship and love will die without a home, hear the solider groan and go at it alone”
A good friend of mine is a Director at a decently funded non profit. She keeps being annoyed I’m applying for jobs that pay less than $60K a year, and I’m like, hello– mid level non profit peeps are lucky to be in the 40s
If every senior level non profit person got paid ten grand less, junior level employees could be earning a living wage that is comfortable enough to prevent them from constantly looking out the door.