The nonprofit world is focused on providing community services to the public with no intention of earning a profit. Unfortunately, people often think that this mission statement means that those who work in nonprofit organizations are not able to earn comfortable living wages. This is not true. The recognition of skills and employee experience still applies here. Salary negotiation can happen anywhere, nonprofit organizations included.
Just like any other business, nonprofit organizations have operating budgets that include employee compensation and benefits. They also calculate salaries based on position responsibility, required skills, and level of experience. What might be different from positions in corporate companies, where the human resources department may be able to consider every request for a higher salary upon hire, is that nonprofits may have more confined parameters and margins. These parameters and margins may be dictated by tight operational budgets, as well as any funder salary parameters, such as government-funded programs or community contracts.
Here are some ways to prepare you for working in the nonprofit field and negotiating your salary at an interview.
Reality check time
Everyone chooses to work in nonprofit organizations for different reasons. Generally, it’s not to pursue high salaries, it’s often more for the love of the cause and helping people. Many nonprofits have a focus on work-life balance, provide solid healthcare and dental benefit plans, and encourage a supportive and caring environment. For many, the whole package of what a nonprofit can offer is much more important than the actual hourly wage. For instance, my favourite aspects of hiring at my nonprofit are the standard three or four-week annual vacation upon hiring full-time staff, paid personal days, and the wonderful 35-hour work week!
Prepare by understanding the salary range
Every salary negotiation article will tell you that identifying industry standards and market research is key. In this case, it’s more than just essential, it’s a pinnacle element of this process! It’s pinnacle because you want to make sure you know the most realistic salary range for the position. Otherwise, you run the risk of starting the negotiation much too high, over what the nonprofit organization can offer and potentially scaring them away.
There are a few ways to get the information you need to get your negotiation off on the right foot. Many job postings in nonprofits will identify a salary range directly on the job description. They often do this to be transparent and upfront about what compensation they can offer to applicants. Look for three to five of similar job postings in nonprofit organizations specifically to view their salary ranges. It’s important to know these ranges and keep them in mind when negotiating. Oftentimes, the top of the range is the highest the organizations will be able to offer for the position. If during the interview they offer you a wage on the lower spectrum, you will know there is room for negotiation when discussion about salary comes up.
Lastly, use your networking skills to connect with people working in a similar nonprofit organization or position at a nonprofit on LinkedIn. People who work in nonprofits love helping people; so often simply by telling them you are interested in entering the field and would like to know what a typical salary range looks like, you might be able to get your answer.
Editor’s Note: For more detailed salary and benefit information for Canadian nonprofit and charity jobs, pre-order the 2022 Canadian Nonprofit Sector Salary & Benefits Report: The Post-Pandemic Edition. The report will be published in September 2022.
Develop a negotiation strategy and practice
If you are not accustomed to negotiating your salary, then going into an interview without a strategy or a plan could be disastrous. Make a list of your top five skills, which should encompass the experience or expertise you hold that is related to the job, the nonprofit field in general, or the cause or community on which the organization focuses. You can use these talking points during the interview to justify your request for a higher salary than what is being offered. Some people choose to practice a script beforehand.
Identify benefits and additional perks
Although the hourly compensation at nonprofit organizations likely won’t beat out those of corporate companies, many other benefits or perks can be requested at this stage of negotiation. Nonprofits are often more understanding of family emergencies and commitments than other companies. Some benefits or perks could include professional development education budgets, additional vacation or personal days, a better job title, or even flexible hours and work schedules that include options to work from home periodically or leave early on certain days to pick up the kids at school. And that’s just to name a few.
I hope these tips will help you navigate negotiating your salary as you apply to nonprofit positions. Good luck with your job search!
Wanda Kusumajuda Pichette loves to see people advance and GROW in their careers! If you would like to learn more about salary negotiation, you can attend her online workshop called ‘Coaching Clients on Salary Negotiation’ on September 23, 2022, hosted by the BC Career Development Association. https://bit.ly/Sep2022workshop
Wanda is the founder of GROW Career Development www.GrowCD.ca, a learning portal for career development education that has free mini-courses and peer-reviewed professional development courses which can be used as continuing education credits. With over 10 years of experience as a Career Strategist in government-funded employment programs, she has obtained the CCDP designation (Certified Career Development Practitioner) and was honoured with the Outstanding Career Leader award by the Career Professionals of Canada in 2019.
Read on about Wanda at https://www.wandakp.com or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/wandakp – and check out www.GrowCD.ca to view current course offerings and subscribe to be notified when new topics become available.
