Canada Study Shows Gender Gap in Pay

Female fund raisers in Canada, like their American counterparts, dominate the profession but make significantly less than men in the same jobs, according to a new study commissioned by the Hilborn Group, a Toronto publishing company.

Slightly more than 65 per cent of the 488 Canadian fund raisers who responded to the survey were female. Last year, their median compensation, meaning that half of the respondents made more and half made less, was $53,055. (Salaries were given in Canadian dollars; currently, $1 U.S. is equal to $1.55 Canadian.)

The median for males in the survey was $60,229. The gender gap held even when men and women held identical fund-raising positions.

The median salary for all Canadian fund raisers was $53,939, the survey found.

The survey, which was conducted in association with the seven Canadian chapters of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives, also found that turnover among Canadian fund raisers is high. Nearly 60 per cent of the respondents said they had been in their current jobs for less than three years.

For a copy of the “1998 Canadian FundRaiser Survey of Compensation, Benefits & Activities,” contact the Hilborn Group, 109 Vanderhoof Avenue, Suite 205, Toronto M4G 2H7; (416) 696-8146; fax (416) 424-3016. The cost is $57 U.S., with postage and handling.