December 12, 2017 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Do some charity causes pay better than others? For top fundraisers, the answer is “absolutely.”
The Chronicle analyzed pay for top development executives at more than 500 large nonprofits. Nearly three dozen fundraisers at hospitals and private colleges made at least $500,000 a year. By contrast, we didn’t find a single development official at a religious organization or a United Way whose pay topped $300,000. The average compensation — including bonuses and deferred pay when it is paid out — was about $270,000.
Below are the fundraisers who, The Chronicle survey found, are among the top earners in their field. We examined Internal Revenue Service Form 990 data filed by nonprofits with at least $35 million in private support. The information is mostly from 2014, the most recent year with complete data available. These fundraisers may no longer work with the organization listed.
Chronicle subscribers: See our searchable database of fundraiser salary information going back to 2010. The database is updated regularly as the IRS makes information available.
| Cause | Fundraiser | Organization | Total Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arts & Culture | Tamar Podell | Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts | $492,423 |
| Children & Youths | Mindy Miller | Harlem Children’s Zone | $414,614 |
| Colleges & Universities (Private) | Albert Checcio | University of Southern California | $1,062,678 |
| Colleges & Universities (Public) | Monica Marie Taylor | University of Delaware | $439,669 |
| Donor-Advised Funds | Andrew Hastings | National Philanthropic Trust | $291,874 |
| Community Foundations | Beth Halloran | Minneapolis Foundation | $305,594* |
| Education | Justine Levin-Allerhand | Broad Institute | $413,587 |
| Environment & Animal Welfare | Catherine Nardone | Nature Conservancy | $510,214 |
| Health | Suzie Upton | American Heart Association | $510,340 |
| Hospitals & Medical Centers | Anne McSweeney | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | $1,791,585* |
| International | David Pasternack | Hadassah, the Women’s Zionist Organization of America | $379,316* |
| Museums & Libraries | Nancy Sacks | American Museum of Natural History | $562,558 |
| Public Affairs | Nina Hanan | Anti-Defamation League | $466,048* |
| Public Broadcasting | Margaret Hunt | New York Public Radio (WNYC) | $384,893 |
| Religion | Mark Crozet | Alliance Defending Freedom | $240,500 |
| Social Service | Paula Swearingen | Goodwill of North Georgia | $635,905 |
| United Ways | John Feudo | United Way of Massachusetts Bay | $276,100 |
| *Compensation in 2015 | |||
