February 24, 2012 | Read Time: 1 minute
How much can top fundraisers expert to earn? At least one fundraiser is paid well over $1-million a year: Anne McSweeney, who is leading a big capital campaign at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center was paid more than $1.4-million in 2010, according to her organization’s latest Form 990.
Richard Naum, the next highest-paid fundraiser at the center, earned $844,100 in 2010, a year in which Memorial Sloan-Kettering raised $244.6-million.
I sought out that kind of information for an article about St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital, which raised more than $698-million last year but was ranked as one of 20 “least efficient financially” big charities by Forbes magazine. The reason: St. Jude’s high fundraising costs, which include salaries, the magazine said.
Still, other big hospitals and cancer centers paid their fundraisers more than St. Jude did in 2010, but they raised far less.
For example, at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, vice president for development Patrick Mulvey earned $630,214 for overseeing fundraising efforts that generated $107.4-million in 2010. That same year, David McKee, St. Jude’s highest-paid fundraiser, earned $551,395 for leading a development operation that drew more than $659-million.
Executive recruiters who seek fundraisers for top jobs in hospitals, universities, and other big nonprofits say $1-million salaries are rare.
As chief executive of Morris & Berger, a search firm that fills top jobs at large charities, including development positions, Jay Berger says he doubts very many fundraisers make much more than $600,000.
Ronald Schiller, an executive recruiter at Lois L. Lindauer Searches, agrees. “There are some making over $400,000 and a smaller number making over $500,000,” he says. “But the vast majority are making $200,000 or $300,000.”
What’s the biggest fundraising salary you’ve heard about?
