Looking to get the most comprehensive report about salary and benefits in the nonprofit sector? Purchase NPT's 2011 Nonprofit Salary and Benefits report from our online store! This report contains current salary information on 259 nonprofit positions, from entry level to executive. Here is some of the information you can expect to find in this year's report:
• Base Salary and Total Cash Compensation data with percentile rankings for each position
• Bonus Pay practices including average payout, percentage receiving and organizations paying
• Annual Salary Increases (prior and current year; executive and non-executive)
• Employee Turnover and Average Tenure by position
• Total compensation costs as a percentage of operating expenses
• Employee profile data: number of full/part time; exempt vs. nonexempt
• Executive Perks and Benefits (organizations offering, special benefits offered)
• Medical, Dental and Vision (costs paid by organization, eligibility, plan offerings, participation rates)
• Prescription Drug (retail and mail order costs)
If you are an executive just starting out your nonprofit organization, or if you're just looking to make sure your nonprofit's salary and benefits are on par with other organizations, the 2011 Salary and Benefits Report is the right choice for you. Order today to get your nonprofit back on the right track!
You can also purchase these other reports:
-2011 Nonprofit Organizations Salary Report
-2011 Nonprofit Organizations Benefits Report
-2011 Nonprofit Organizations Top Executive Positions Salary and Special Perks Report
Friday, October 7, 2011
Charitable Deduction Cap Nixed From Jobs Bill
A proposed cap on charitable deduction has been nixed from the American Jobs Act by Senate majority leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.). The cap, which was strongly opposed by many nonprofit leaders, would have limited the deductibility of charitable contributions for individuals earning more than $250,000, from 35 percent to 28 percent. It was President Barack Obama's fourth attempt at the cap, each time to pay for a specific bill. The jobs bill will instead be paid for by a 5.6-percent surtax on individuals earning more than $1 million a year.
The news was met with joy from nonprofit leaders, including Independent Sector (IS) president and CEO Diana Aviv. She released the following statement to supporters this morning:
The news was met with joy from nonprofit leaders, including Independent Sector (IS) president and CEO Diana Aviv. She released the following statement to supporters this morning:
“Our assiduous efforts to share with lawmakers concerns about a cap, combined with your outreach to members of Congress to explain why tax incentives for charitable giving are critical to nonprofits and the people in our your community, made a real difference. In fact, many lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have indicated that they do not support a cap on charitable contributions.”Despite its removal from the Senate bill, capping charitable reduction still remains a part of the president's recommendations to the Super Committee, which is tasked with finding at least $1.2 trillion in deficit reductions by Nov. 23. Nonprofit executives like Aviv remain focused on getting the administration to take it off the table completely. Stay tuned to The NonProfit Times for any further updates on this subject.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
The Four Steps Of A Feasibility Study
Cross-posted from our Squidoo page.
When you see the word "study," mostly negative thoughts come to mind. Studying for an exam means stress and little sleep. A government study means action will be postponed or prevented. In the nonprofit world, a feasibility study might be the best possible thing for an organization looking to start a project.
Feasibility studies aim to uncover the strengths and weaknesses of a proposal. These studies require the cooperation of all members of a nonprofit, including the board, CEO, and of any foundation being asked for financial support. The feasibility study consists of four steps, as outline on The NonProfit Times:
* Phase 1. Preparation: 30 days. Review all data, assemble names of potential interviewees, draft an invitation letter and schedule interviews. Remember to make reminder calls, finalize the list of questions and send thank-you letters.
* Phase 2. Interviews/Focus Groups: Five days. Conduct interviews and focus groups, outline the plan, keep development staff advised of the process. Strive for a minimum of 30 individuals, Identify prospective donors.
* Phase 3. Final Report Preparation: Two to three weeks. Review and organize all data, hold team evaluation and development of strategic conclusion, draft the report and submit the report.
* Phase 4. Report presentation: One day. Present report and assist with the next steps, questions and other support. The report should lead to a challenging and realistic goal.
When you see the word "study," mostly negative thoughts come to mind. Studying for an exam means stress and little sleep. A government study means action will be postponed or prevented. In the nonprofit world, a feasibility study might be the best possible thing for an organization looking to start a project.
Feasibility studies aim to uncover the strengths and weaknesses of a proposal. These studies require the cooperation of all members of a nonprofit, including the board, CEO, and of any foundation being asked for financial support. The feasibility study consists of four steps, as outline on The NonProfit Times:
* Phase 1. Preparation: 30 days. Review all data, assemble names of potential interviewees, draft an invitation letter and schedule interviews. Remember to make reminder calls, finalize the list of questions and send thank-you letters.
* Phase 2. Interviews/Focus Groups: Five days. Conduct interviews and focus groups, outline the plan, keep development staff advised of the process. Strive for a minimum of 30 individuals, Identify prospective donors.
* Phase 3. Final Report Preparation: Two to three weeks. Review and organize all data, hold team evaluation and development of strategic conclusion, draft the report and submit the report.
* Phase 4. Report presentation: One day. Present report and assist with the next steps, questions and other support. The report should lead to a challenging and realistic goal.
Steve Jobs And Public Giving
In light of the passing of Steve Jobs yesterday, I thought I would bump this post. The world truly lost a visionary in his passing. He will be missed.
Unless you've been living under a rock, you are probably aware that Steve Jobs recently announced his resignation as CEO of Apple. Jobs leaves behind an impressive legacy at Apple, with products like the iPhone and iPad revolutionizing our society. He also has accumulated a great deal of wealth, nearly $8.3 billion through his shares in Apple and Disney. Yet, as The New York Times reports, there is no public record of Jobs ever giving money to charity.
Millionaires are often at the forefront of philanthropic activities. Bill Gates is well known for his work in philanthropy, and Warren Buffett has gotten many billionaires to sign a so-called "Giving Pledge." The NYT piece examines why Jobs has never been involved in the philanthropic sector, at least publicly, but it came away with few answers. The article mentions that Jobs did create a foundation in his name in 1986, but closed it after a year. There has also been speculation that he has been hesitant to give because he has been focused on expanding Apple and dealing with his declining health.
Given his somewhat private nature, it is possible that Job has given anonymously. The Times article mentions that there has been speculation that a $150 million donation to the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center came from him.
To read the full article on this subject, head on over to The New York Times.
Unless you've been living under a rock, you are probably aware that Steve Jobs recently announced his resignation as CEO of Apple. Jobs leaves behind an impressive legacy at Apple, with products like the iPhone and iPad revolutionizing our society. He also has accumulated a great deal of wealth, nearly $8.3 billion through his shares in Apple and Disney. Yet, as The New York Times reports, there is no public record of Jobs ever giving money to charity.
Millionaires are often at the forefront of philanthropic activities. Bill Gates is well known for his work in philanthropy, and Warren Buffett has gotten many billionaires to sign a so-called "Giving Pledge." The NYT piece examines why Jobs has never been involved in the philanthropic sector, at least publicly, but it came away with few answers. The article mentions that Jobs did create a foundation in his name in 1986, but closed it after a year. There has also been speculation that he has been hesitant to give because he has been focused on expanding Apple and dealing with his declining health.
Given his somewhat private nature, it is possible that Job has given anonymously. The Times article mentions that there has been speculation that a $150 million donation to the Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center came from him.
To read the full article on this subject, head on over to The New York Times.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Tips To Find Mobile Donors
Remember when mobile phones were just able to make calls? Those days are long behind us. Cell phones today are basically portable Internet devices, allowing users to stay connected even when they are away from the computer. These so-called "smart phones" have been very helpful for nonprofits as an advocacy tool and as a channel for fundraising during disasters.
Not on board the mobile fundraising bandwagon yet? Here are some tips to get started:
Not on board the mobile fundraising bandwagon yet? Here are some tips to get started:
- Make it simple to text in a donation. For example, supporter of UNICEF's TAP Project need only to text "TAP" to a given number to make a $10 donation.
- On a related note, stick to one phone number for your mobile donations. There's no need to confuse your followers by having multiple numbers for all of your different campaigns.
- Integrate your mobile platform with existing channels.
- Make sure you to make your website mobile friendly. It's harder to browse the site if it's not optimized for smart phone use.
- Allow your supporters to opt-in to get breaking news and other alerts texted directly to their phones.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Nonprofit Board Member Term Limits Spark Debate
Nonprofit boards often spark debate among people. There are some who believe that board members should be paid, while others think that is exactly the wrong thing to do. Board term limits are also a hot button topic in the nonprofit sector. These limits are discussed at great length in the latest issue of The NonProfit Times, using two opposing viewpoints on the role of nonprofit governance.
The first of these views comes from Richard Buery, president and CEO of Children's Aid Society. His organization has instituted four, three-year terms for board members this year. The vote for this change was unanimously approved by the board. Buery believed this was the right change to be made because it helped limit the size of the board. He thought that in order to have critical conversations about the future, you "can't have 50 people in the room." This point was backed up by research that showed that when there are more than seven people in a room, the conversation will start to lose focus.
Children's Aid Society is not alone when it comes to imposing term limits on boards: 70 percent of nonprofit boards have them, according to the BoardSource Nonprofit Governance Index of 2010. That doesn't mean everyone thinks they are a good idea. Bruce Hopkins, a partner in the Kansas City, Kan., law firm of Polsinelli Shalton Flanigan Suelthaus, believes that nonprofits should be able to manage themselves without forcing people out:
"Limits can force new blood on a board, which can be a good thing but sometimes organizations lose people who are competent, who can serve and want to serve, but can’t."
What do you think? Are term limits for boards a good idea, or are they unnecessary? Feel free to chime in below.
Nonprofit Management Tip: Creating A Safe Workplace
Creating a safe workplace is one of the most important things to accomplish when dealing with risk management. When accidents happen, people get hurt, and insurance is needed. And insurance costs money. One of the best ways to ensure your office is one your employees don't dread coming to is to constantly ask for feedback. This was covered in of NPT's most recent management tips:
* Invite feedback, including complaints. Send a clear message that ideas on improving the safety of the workplace are welcome.
* Banish assumptions. Assuming that policies and procedures are understood and followed is unwise.
* Provide training. Workplace training should address general safety as well as topics specific to areas or departments.
* Look for root causes instead of simple answers when accidents or near-misses occur. Opportunities to learn from mistakes are missed because of the tendency to blame or look for “simple” explanations.
* Reach out for help. Consider inviting an insurer to inspect the premises to identify opportunities to improve safety.
Want to read the entire article? Head on over to our website, and learn how you can make your nonprofit a safe one!
* Invite feedback, including complaints. Send a clear message that ideas on improving the safety of the workplace are welcome.
* Banish assumptions. Assuming that policies and procedures are understood and followed is unwise.
* Provide training. Workplace training should address general safety as well as topics specific to areas or departments.
* Look for root causes instead of simple answers when accidents or near-misses occur. Opportunities to learn from mistakes are missed because of the tendency to blame or look for “simple” explanations.
* Reach out for help. Consider inviting an insurer to inspect the premises to identify opportunities to improve safety.
Want to read the entire article? Head on over to our website, and learn how you can make your nonprofit a safe one!