Is $120,000-plus too much for a charity worker salary?
There are several reasons Canadians are hesitant to donate to charity. Here’s a pretty bad one, and here’s another that doesn’t feature the words “cancer faker.”
Yet we like to believe – we’re Canucks, after all – the good in people. We want to give, and we want to help.
And then, a story like this comes out and, on the surface, at least, our faith in local charities flies out the window.
According to a Canadian Press study, thousands of charity workers across the country receive salaries over six figures – some even topping the $350,000 annual mark.
By CP’s survey of the tax filings of Canada’s 85,000 registered charities, 6,000 employees took home salaries exceeding $120,000 last year, while a “few hundred” made over $350,000.
(There are around one million charity workers in Canada. Charities must disclose their ten highest-paid workers in its financial reporting.)
These numbers seem high, and remarkably they may come under even more fire than the report last March that showed more than 71,000 Ontario public workers had salaries themselves of over a hundred grand.
But let’s peak behind the Canadian Press’ findings to see why, when most charities operate under the guise that the money you donate goes straight to a worthwhile cause, some workers are taking home such fat paydays.
The defence? Of course, it’s the same as proponents of sky-high CEO pay: if you don’t pay for the best people, a charity suffers.
“If you really want those charities to have an impact and make a real difference, you’re going to need to bring in the best people to work in that sector,” Marcel Lauziere, a rep for charity advocacy group Imagine Canada, told CP. “It’s not only in government and in business. So you will have to pay salaries that are commensurate to that.”
Fair, but what is the cut-off? I think many Canadians could get behind, if it was absolutely necessary, a salary of $120,000 or whatever it may be for a top talent, high-ranking charity official. If a $120,000 charity executive can bring in $1 million in donations where a $60,000 charity executive can only bring in $500,000, that’s money well spent.
Though is $320,000 or more pushing it?
We may have no answer, but fortunately generous Canadians can do their homework if top charity salaries turn them off.
The Canada Revenue Agency lists the nitty gritty on all 85,000 of our nation’s registered charities, including detailed financial reports that cover the spending patterns of every catalogued charity. You can look here before donating if you like.
Do you think charities should cap the salaries afforded employees, or is the “pay for the best talent” argument applicable here, as it is in many other walks of life?
By Jason Buckland, MSN Money
Posted by: Gerry | Jul 12, 2021 7:00:02 PM
this is ludicrous...Ive just made up my mind not to donate to anymore large charities...must be a proven local or nothing
Posted by: laurie | Jul 12, 2021 9:49:36 PM
Charities are big business and as complicated, if not more so, than private businesses. They have to compete with government and business to hire competent executives and managers. If you have a complaint against the salaries, complaine about government and the private sector equally with the charities.
Posted by: ????? | Jul 12, 2021 10:22:16 PM
How smart do you have to be to hire a call center to ask for money? They ca spin it any way they want but my charity donations will be local and only if all of it goes to the cause. goes to the cause.
Posted by: myth buster | Jul 12, 2021 10:35:45 PM
This article is somewhat misleading and people need to look further. It makes it looks like the people being paid are organizing the charity and that's not always true. The stats are being manipulated here. Some of the charities are things like Universities and Research Institutes. I don't mind donating towards paying the very best doctors in the world to conduct cancer research - and that is the kind of person who is making over $350,000 at UBC. It's not the people in their fundraising department (although they may make $100,000).
Posted by: Lizzie | Jul 13, 2021 11:57:09 AM
Thank you Myth Buster!
I work for a charity. There are four employees who provide FREE educational services to adults. Our annual budget is $120,000 and less. We are all underpaid for what we do. If I worked in the FOR PROFIT I would be making double. However, I love my job and I know I make a difference in our community. For some charities you have to pay people to provide the services such as educators.
Also the 6000 people who make over $120,000 makes up less than 0.5% of the charity workers.
Posted by: CuckholdDon | Jul 13, 2021 12:23:22 PM
My wife has done a lot of charity work for many organizations over the yrs!
I've(for yrs. asked why so many folks can live so well off charities!
I'm not talking about the Top people but more the next three levels or so(you just have to look at the lifestyle the wages these jobs support)!
Sometime It would appear that it's just so that folks who can best afford to pay thier fair share of taxes don't have to& by doing some charity work the well off folks can feel a little better off about themselves!
Shouldn't hospitals,schools ect. be fully funded out of tax dollars?
Why should the elderly,disabled& family with children get so little money that they are forced to rely on clothing drives, food banks ect!
When you leave things like this up to the whims of the public, a lot of folks get left out!!
Posted by: tes | Jul 13, 2021 12:25:55 PM
I used to volunteer for the Winnipeg Humane Society. I am a professional, with good education and experience and never worked in such fancy, expensive offices like the leeches at the shelter do.
You would not believe the environment and the money coming in. Most of it never goes to the animals in need, like they say. People, stop donating to those parasites. Bring in food, linens, supplies, but not money. They even have a boutique, where the prices are unbelievable high. They pretend they help animals. They live in a luxurious hotel there. They have three coordinators for volunteers. Why would they need that many? They sit there and do nothing. Oh, I forgot, interview people. Greed, arrogance to the extreme and laziness. That is the name of that "Charitable organization". A lot of the people in the back don't even have animals or never petted one at the shelter.
Now, you will see a lot of comments coming in from them. Very defensive ones. Just wonder why.
Posted by: against charities | Jul 13, 2021 1:47:54 PM
I have close family who work "at the top" for a charity.
It's all a facade for finding an easy way to scam people out of their hard earned money.
Remember, charities come in many different forms.
My opinion is, noone should be making money at any charity. Every cent should be going to the ppl in need. It should be all volunteer work, done from the heart. That being said, if you are going to pay anyone, noone, including the CEO, should be making more than minimum wage and each person making any money should be closely monitored. In the event they feel their rights are violated by being monitored, they have the right to leave.
After my experiences, I am now against charities.
Posted by: Shelley | Jul 14, 2021 12:28:02 AM
I work for PLEA Community Services in Vancouver. Just a few months, the board approved pay increases for senior management. We have at least 5 managers making 100,000 plus. This is in addition to the 2 executive director making over 130,000 ea.
Posted by: al | Jul 14, 2021 7:28:40 AM
Why do you think there are no cures? These people and many like them would lose there wonderful jobs.
Posted by: Diane | Jul 14, 2021 11:26:25 AM
I have worked for a NPO for the past 23 years in a management position and I make under 50k a year plus I am on call 12 weeks a year.
Posted by: Dale | Jul 14, 2021 11:39:41 AM
Salation Army is the only charity that deserves donations
Posted by: Maria JANSEN | Jul 14, 2021 1:04:30 PM
I only donate to salvation army, money and clothes, household goods etc.
Most charities are a scam, after I found out about their salaries.
Posted by: Darcy J | Jul 14, 2021 2:18:49 PM
I think that alll you haters need to look into what a charity is for CRA purposes. A few have mentioned univerisities, etc., but there are many more that impact the average and are outside of the organizations that typically come to mind. For example, many service providers for the developmentally disabled are non-proift and qualify for charity status with CRA. These are complex agencies that require qualified, competent leaders. In the major urban centres (which is by far the majority of the population), $120,000/year may be a 30%+ discount to what an indivudual could earn in the for-profit sector. I've worked in both and am now currently employed by a non-proift. My previous position paid me total compensation of around $195,000/year and I now make $115,000/year. Guess what, the new job is harder, I still work around the same hours and it is way harder to leave the "job" at the office when it's peoples lives that are in the balance. My real payment comes from making a difference, so i gladly accept the lower pay. I'd love to know what the haters think I should be doing...work for $50,000/yr? And I don't really care if "that's a lot of money for lots of people", it's not for me, not even close. It's peole like me who are the vast majority of the "high earning" non-proifit workers. If society was willing to do all of the work on a volunteer basis then i would be free to make double my income and live the easy life...
Posted by: Ali | Jul 14, 2021 3:04:01 PM
I work for an non profit organization. Our CEO make $120000 plus and have increasment every year, whereas the worker only received minimum paid and have increasemnt of 1 - 2% every two years.
Posted by: John Ginter | Jul 14, 2021 3:35:55 PM
I was astounded to read that so many exeuctives workin g for Charities make over $120,000.
I am well educated with both public and business experience. I worked for CESO where we
were only paid our travel and livin g expenses. I was a business expert and lectured to
the Aboriginal business community. I enjoyed my work , however when I was asked to
contribute to our assignments I quit. I don"t know what the top executives made however
there has been a change to the top management. I do not subscribe to the theory that
Charities have to pay high wages to get good executives- most people work for charities
because they feel they are doin g something worth while for society.
Posted by: Rick W. | Jul 14, 2021 5:12:45 PM
What a load of parsimonious crap Darcy J attempted to unload on us. As an educator for 37 years, I VOLUNTEERED to coach several sports during the school year without thought of any extra remuneration or "compensory" time off (as there would be none forthcoming anyway) and at the great personal expense of quality family time. This would consume most evenings for most of the school year as well as weekend tournaments and meets. After practices or games I would then have to prepare for the next day's/week's classes and mark any tests, assignments, projects, etc., also "unpaid time". Were I the only one doing so, I would class myself as a supreme idiot but I am in the company of a host of other teachers who DEDICATE themselves to their students, athletes, and their schools, and all of us earn nowhere near a six-figure salary as Darcy does. Darcy -- have ykou heard of the word "dedication" or does everything you do carry a price tag? I find your use of the term "haters" particularly offensive and your entire demeanor reeks of secularismn and greed. "Community spirit" in your eyes appears to be a foreign and undesireable trait. Try VOLUNTEERING your services, whether at your rather well-paying job, in your community, place of worship, ar even at home and see what true elation and satisfaction feels like. Everything done does NOT have to carry a price tag.
Posted by: lynda | Jul 14, 2021 5:32:36 PM
I have had experiences where people who have a tremendous amount of money have been able to utilize resources from charities to take trips to forein contries for there whole family vacation paid for in full 1 case in perticular is a family of 5 who owns 2 houses no mortgage 3 mustang cars 2 horses, private schools, athletic trainers, 1 mustang was custom built and transported, owned there own buisness and was able to use charity money for a vacation in Aulstraila for no cost whatsoever the charity picked up the tab for everything. because of this I refuse to donate even 1 dollor to any charity. I will donate my time and energy and even my household items but never money they obviosly do not have a priorty system.
Posted by: binder dundat | Jul 14, 2021 5:34:57 PM
80% of all donated money goes into salaries and bills, approx 20% is used towards the actual deed of the charity, no point of donating, instead go out and give someone a helping hand, at least you know it was done.
Posted by: Darcy J | Jul 14, 2021 5:43:48 PM
Rick, I volunteer for a lot of things...about 5 hours per week (all I can do with 3 kids under 12), so spare me the "price tag" BS, I give up most of my non-work/non-family time already.
Rick, would you have been willing to go from $75,000/yr to $40,000 as a teacher to do so in a "non-pofit" manner? More work, more pressure, way less pay? I for one think that teachers are underpaid and over worked. It's a tough job and one of the most important professions we have. The problem though, is that you have limited choices to do anything else. There isn't a private sector that will pay you $150,000/yr. You knew that when you signed up and did so anyways...it was obviously your calling.
Now, just because I have a different salary reality doesn't make me uncaring and all about the money. I am making about $47,000 less (net after tax) than I used to per year, but do so happily. And no one held a gun to the heads of the people doing the hiring. The cardinal rule is that you are paid based on how difficult it is to replace you...and for people like me we can be hard to replace, not because I'm special, but because there are so many more options that pay a lot more. If they could have found the expetise at $75,000/yr, don't you think they would have?