Need advice with a non-profit job offer

17 Comments

1. AnonymousJanuary 16,2024 at 11:37AM UTC

   My experience at non profits has been they aren’t willing to negotiate on salary. A title change potentially. Non profits are also notorious for being toxic.

2. Anne-Marie LanganJanuary 16,2024 at 1:23PM UTC

   In my experience in working with many non-profits, the biggest difference between the way they operate and for-profit business is that they are most often on a very tight budget that is based on grant funding. Most grants are time-limited and require that you report back on what you spent the money on which leaves little room for negotiation regarding salaries. For the same reason there are often very few pemanent positions and people tend to hold on to these. However most, although not all, my experiences in working with non-profits have been very rewarding and I have learned a tremendous amount both professionally and personally from them. I would base your decision most on whether you want to relocate to the location where the job is and what housing expenses are like there vs. what you will be earning to ensure that you won't be financially stressed.

3. AnonymousJanuary 16,2024 at 1:41PM UTC

   It depends how big the organization is, in some ways. If there are four people, there is lots of room for negotiation in the title. If it’s a larger organization, it may have standard position titles just like a for-profit corporation.

   There is likely not going to be much more money either way—in a large organization, there’s probably a set salary range for certain positions and in a small one they probably simply don’t have the money. There may be SOME room for negotiation.

   One thing you can do is look up its tax form 990 on a site like Candid.org, and see what they are paying their highest-paid employees. That can tell you if what you’re thinking is even plausible or is more than the CEO is getting.

4. AnonymousJanuary 16,2024 at 1:51PM UTC

   You can certainly ask for these things...however, keep in mind that you are in a somewhat desperate spot and they may not give you what you are asking for. I did briefly work for a nonprofit and while they did pay me more than the position was initially advertised for, I still took a significant pay cut that I regret to this day. Especially when they replaced me at a much higher level making probably in the $200k range.

5. Cara GardnerJanuary 16,2024 at 2:21PM UTC

   I agree with other comments and sharing my experience - definitely research the tax filings to see the salaries listed. However, if it's a larger non-profit, they often only list the very top earners and a few others. I discovered that when interviewing recently with a non-profit and doing my research.

   I would approach the salary conversation asking about promotion potential. I learned that it just depended on if someone left and vacancy became available. I also learned that the position I was interviewing for, had a very set budget range and no wiggle room. As much as I loved the idea of the role, I just couldn't financially make it work.

   Also, while they wanted to grow the team, they were limited on budgets. Because of the economy and companies tightening their budgets, they found many of their corporate donors were doing 1-year contracts versus in the past they'd do 5-year commitments. And its really hard to plan to grow teams and budgets when you are continually doing 1 year donation renewals.

   Good luck!

6. AnonymousJanuary 16,2024 at 3:49PM UTC

   I worked in one for eight years. Although the one offering you may be different, the one I worked at had little wiggle room for salary bumps within a job description, and unless you go in with relevant experience, asking for a "higher" title probably isn't an option, as the organizational structure can be very flat. You can try if you can provide evidence that you could perform at a higher job level.

   The answer is totally up to you. If the move is doable and you can adjust your standard of living, at least it keeps you going while you look for a better-paying job.

7. AnonymousJanuary 16,2024 at 9:38PM UTC

   OP here - just want to say thanks for this feedback it’s been really helpful! I will likely keep looking if I accept the role, and just try to make it work for the time being, since I am not in a position to turn anything down. I think you’re all probably correct in the amount of flexibility I can expect in this case.

8. AnonymousJanuary 19,2024 at 8:51PM UTC

   I work as a Chief of Staff for a nonprofit, and although I will agree broadly that many non-profits have little wiggle room, it does vary a great deal from organization to organization.

   Generally, leadership or upper-management positions have more leeway, as do positions doing tasks where organizations are competing with the for-profit sector for employees, e.g. digital marketing or IT positions.

   I recently returned to a nonprofit after spending nearly a decade in tech startups, and one of the things that really helped me negotiate a fair rate was outlining a growth path with my manager in my first 90 days.

   This involved asking what was expected of me within that time-frame, what exceeding expectations looked like, and aligning on whether there would be room in the budget for a merit-based bonus at the end of the year to bridge the gap.

   Similarly, a colleague of mine works for United Way, and she took advantage of a specific skillset in crisis management to step up to the plate during the Maui wildfire relief efforts.

   The key is to make yourself invaluable to the organization. Since the lower pay at many nonprofits makes it difficult for them to compete for the highest-caliber employees, who self-select out of the industry towards higher-paying jobs in the for-profit sector, driven and thoughtful employees who are willing to take on the work that others don't always want to do can grow very quickly within an organization.

   Use this opportunity to grow your network, offer a new perspective from outside of the industry, and set boundaries around what your non-negotiable requirements are.

9. AnonymousJanuary 16,2024 at 10:43PM UTC

   Most non-profits typically don’t have much leeway with budget.

   My suggestion is to pass up this opportunity or, if absolutely necessary, to take it with the assumption that you will continue job hunt.

   You are already uneasy about the job. It is highly unlikely that you’ll feel happy about it as time passes.

10. AnonymousJanuary 17,2024 at 12:39AM UTC

    Generally not a lot of wiggle room on money in a NP but if the role seems a fit and can get you employed for now, either short term or longer term, do it. If you can commute vs move do that until 90 days has passed. You can write off your move costs from your taxes. You could as far as title ask for an outside title but live with the internal one they have posted. Explain to them that upward movement and not going backwards matters to you so that is why you want that.

11. AnonymousJanuary 17,2024 at 1:44PM UTC

    I took an extended leave of absence from an 8 yr local gov. leadership role...sold my home and kept only what fit in the back of an suv and moved to the beach...after almost 2 years i moved back to the city and struggled for 4 months to find a job...im in the medical field and i was trying to shape the job to fit me instead of the other way around...and when the savings got tied up...i realized my bills didn't care about where i was employed or what my title was...it was a very humbling experience...it took me a few months to accept this role and now i truly enjoy my new job...in a totally new setting and my co workers are great!!! i wish you well in your negotiations and your new job !!!

12. AnonymousJanuary 17,2024 at 2:00PM UTC

    NFP's are purely budget based, they don't have wiggle room for salaries. It is unfortunate, but it is the reality. The experience is something you may like and after a few years move on. I did that and it helped me get the corporate role I always wanted to have.

13. AnonymousJanuary 17,2024 at 2:46PM UTC

    Is the new city the same cost of living as the current one? I live in the NYC metro and while salaries are cut in half outside of it, so is the cost of housing.

    If you rent, moving is still a pain but not nearly as bad as relocating to/from a home you own.

14. Terri Andrews GutierrezJanuary 17,2024 at 3:09PM UTC

    You can always negotiate. I have been in the non profit world my entire career and sometimes I have been successful, and sometimes I haven't, but I always ended up working for mission driven organizations I really believed in. As a fundraiser, how could you not. I would also advocating for additional paid time off.

15. AnonymousJanuary 17,2024 at 3:20PM UTC

    Learn as much as you can about their policies. I worked for a non profit. They only followed through to their benefit. There was no room for growth or profit motion.

    I took a job with no room for growth in a new city, but I had been in the city for less than a year. The job was a poor fit, the hours were demanding, and I had never been so miss treated in my life. They laid me off “chose not to reassign me” although those were the last words they told me. They made promises but cut me with a sword. It was the most stressful and unethical environment, I had ever been in.

    I was off work for a few months, but thankfully another department saw my value and hired me.

16. AnonymousJanuary 17,2024 at 4:43PM UTC

    If you're already uneasy, that feeling is only going to get worse.

    I have worked for NPs my entire career. Some are great places to work and grow, some are terrible, and all are budget based. You'll have more wiggle room on a title or vacation days than you ever will on salary. And that goes for long-term raises too. You'll get cost of living, but typically there is no such thing as a merit-based raise. Unless a higher position opens up that you are qualified to apply for and to do, you won't see more money at the NP.

    I'd suggest you hold out for the job you're actually looking for. It's expensive and time consuming for both you and the NP if you take a job there you don't intend to keep.

17. AnonymousJanuary 18,2024 at 3:04PM UTC

    I work for a non profit and took a pay cut to be here. Nonprofit doesn't pay what private sector does. The money just isn't there. You can ask for more but they might not have it. Good luck.