Big Non-Profit Salaries Are Demoralizing

To the Editor:

The Chronicle article on the exorbitant salaries received by the C.E.O.’s of some non-profit organizations (“Executive Pay Outpaces Inflation,” September 4) was really in 3-D: disgusting, deplorable, and demoralizing.

Thirteen years ago, I organized a non-profit 501(c)(3) historical and educational museum, which has grown to be the largest collection of artifacts on permanent display in Montana. My wife and I are full-time volunteers. We receive no remuneration for our services, nor does any member of our Board of Directors. We do receive part-time laborers from Green Thumb, the Summer Youth Employment Program, and court-ordered community-service workers. … Other than for labor, we’ve received less than $50,000 in grants in 13 years.

Our educational opportunities, especially with youths, are great, but we lack adequate facilities, and our $80,000 expansion project has received minimal grant support. How discouraging it is to see millions going to groups designed to help youths and to discover that each of the groups’ C.E.O.’s are paid more than $250,000 per year.

Many grants are made for research, studies, and engineering. They are vital to the outcome of any undertaking, but we have often done most of that with volunteer labor, experience, and common sense. Priorities are definitely out of line when so much is spent on C.E.O. salaries and “studies” and so little on lasting capital improvements.

Gil Mangels
Miracle of America Museum
Polson, Mont.