Compensation Benchmarking Resources from Nonprofit Sources

The following resources provide compensation benchmarking, often for both salaries and benefits, for various nonprofit staff positions. Each resource fills a unique niche that may help you set competitive wages and benefits for your organization’s team.

Minnesota Council of Nonprofits, Salary and Benefits Survey: The survey gives a page-by-page review of the top 77 jobs in nonprofit organizations. The report presents the results by 6 budget categories, 7 geographic regions, and 12 activity areas so you can compare your organization's compensation to similar organizations. Online here. MCF has access to this resource and will be happy to share limited information if you have a specific question. Cost: print price $174 for MCN members/$349 nonmembers, web access $249 members/$499 nonmembers

Council on Foundations, Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report: Salary data on 8000+ full-time staff from 800+ organizations. Increase, bonus, and severance eligibility and activity data. Staff tenure, departure, and turnover rates. CEO-specific compensation, benefits, and discretionary grantmaking practices. Benefits practices and employer costs. Online here. MCF has access to this resource and will be happy to share limited information if you have a specific question. Cost: COF members free / $499 nonmembers

Exponent Philanthropy, Foundation Operations and Management Report: A guide for very small foundations when making operational decisions. Benchmarking data on boards and governance, grantmaking, investments, staff compensation, and more. Online here. Cost: $98 EP members, $298 nonmembers

GuideStar, Nonprofit Compensation Report: This report includes the top 14 leadership positions from over 100,000 nonprofits, including compensation broken down by state/metro area, compensation by gender, cause area and other subsections. Online here. Cost: $399 single-user / $999 multi-user

990s of Peer Foundations: The IRS Forms 990 and 990PF require nonprofit organizations to report compensation paid to board members, trustees, officers, key employees, and the five highest compensated individuals. Find 990s posted on foundation websites or through publicly available databases including Candid or Economic Research Institute.