November 4, 2004 | Read Time: 1 minute
Q. We’re starting a new nonprofit organization in central Florida, offering after-school classes in the performing arts. We are all new to the world of charities, and are trying to determine what to pay our first president. How do we find the information we need to come up with a decent starting salary?
A. Determining an appropriate salary for a high-level employee, like a president, can seem like a tough call, but luckily, there’s plenty of information available to help you settle on the right figure.
The first step is to see what other organizations similar to yours in size, budget, and location are paying their leaders. Check out Salary.com, which allows you to tailor salary information by geography, nonprofit status, organization size, and other variables. Other sources of salary information include The Wall Street Journal‘s Career Journal, Wageweb, Salary Expert, CollegeRecruiter.com, and Guidestar’s annual survey.
Since you say you’re new to the nonprofit world, be sure to check with your state or regional nonprofit association to find out if a salary survey is conducted in your region, and to connect with other charities in your field to get a sense of their salary ranges. You’ll find a list of such umbrella groups here.
