After feeling as though I was on the “wrong side” of the salary debate this semester, I was interested to see what everyone thought of the Forces for Good reading this week.
Perhaps, my time in the Navy taught me that requiring a great deal for very little pay might not be the best approach. Ironically, the argument in the Navy is very similar. They tell everyone that is about supporting “God and Country,” that is what they call the “mission.” Yet, it is difficult to concentrate on those elements of service when simple things, like rent and gas, are close to mathematically impossible. So, I once again agree with what may be the “wrong side” of the salary debate. If you want the best, you have to pay for it - at least a little. Not millions, but perhaps it is possible to earn $250,000. If you are a primary “force” in the accomplishment of “good” perhaps people should, and will, be willing to pay you.
I know that the Navy lost a lot of great people because they didn't want to nickel and dime their families year after year while they were deployed. Ironically, these individuals are probably the ones who understand things that could have saved Millions overall. The Navy is one case where increasing salaries may have decreased total costs and I cannot imagine it’s the only one.
(I'm not saying that $600,000 is frequently justified!)
I hope everyone has a great summer and incredible internships for those who are completing them.
Andrew, Rebecca, Hayley, and Kate, I hope everything works out exactly as you hope after graduation (and that someone pays you well someday!!)
Dan and Matt, capstone is coming in the fall…should we cheer or run for the hills?
Thank you Casondra and I am happy to be turning over the presidency to you for next Fall. I know you will do great things!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Casondra that people do need to be paid for their talent and should be able to make a living off the work they do. I really do not think that I could sit here today and pick a figure that I think is appropriate for a top executive with great talent to make. I think a salary should depend on the cost of living and what the leader brings to the table. However, I still hold strong that people should not go into nonprofit work to make the big bucks... I think that there is an ethical obligation for us as future administrators to decide how much is too much to accept. I would question the ethics of an executive who allows themselves to make a great deal more money than they need to live comfortably. Would that executive really have the best interest of the organization in mind by accepting a large salary?
I am going to raise a example that is more or less related to your topic, Casondra. Recently, a hot news in China is a debate among mess media, celebrities and the public about a billionaire as well as a philanthropist in China----Chen Guangbiao. During the ten years that he dedicated to public goods, he has donated more than 800,000,000 RMB (Chinese dollar, approximately $130,000,000). But recently, mess media started to doubt that he has exaggerated the amount of money he donated in order to build his fame and improve the brand image of his company. Regardless of Chen’s effort to prove that he is really donating for public good and is not trying to take benefit of such philanthropic act, mess media kept scolding him and call him as a hypocrite. At the same time, other philanthropies and people stand out to support him, arguing that it makes negative impact if the media kept scolding “forces for good”, since fewer wealthy people dare to donate for fear of being scrutinized and scolded.
ReplyDeleteThe public is more and more rigorous for people who are involved in philanthropies and nonprofits, it looks like since they devoted into serving for public, they have to forget about their own good. I don’t mind if a manager in a nonprofit is getting a good pay if he worth that payment, and I don’t consider it a mistake to make large donation while let the public aware of that as long as the money turned to serve for public good.
Casondra, thank you for the kind words. I hope you find fulfillment as well. As for money, I hope the unit of exchange fades away in order to evoke the more agreeable qualities of human nature and society.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your well wishes, Casondra. I'm sure you will do well on your capstone project next semester. While it is a lot of work, you will learn a lot. And it really isn't as scary as it might seem. So don't run for the hills! In response to your post about salary, my opinion is that if an organization can afford to offer a competitive salary and benefits to its top employees, it should do so. While a national nonprofit CEO salary of $200,000 or $300,000 may seem like a lot to us, it's important for us to keep in might that CEOs of national corporations make much, much more. Although I think that a nonprofit leader should want the job because he or she believes in the mission of the organization, it is also important to be realistic and recognize that money does play a factor in many people's decisions about which job to accept (or remain in). The type of person a national nonprofit would look for to be its CEO is likely someone with a lot of talent and experience. People with talent and experience have more job options than people without them, and likely can choose between multiple positions with different salaries. In order to attract and retain these people, it may be necessary to offer them salaries at the top of the pay grade. And in my opinion, it will be worth it to do so.
ReplyDeleteThank you Casondra for your wishes. I have friends that know little about nonprofits. So everytime I told them my major, they would always ask why? Why spend two years and a whole bunch of money for a low-paid or even unpaid job? When I look at my classmates, I see so mcuh passion. However, will everybody end up working as a nonprofit worker? I highly doubt it, with money as the first concern. If the salary problem can be fixed, nonprofits will definitely be more attractive to top talents.
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