Our Industry’s Most Wicked Problem: Fundraising for a Living Wage

Connecting the admiration often attributed to nonprofit leaders with the compensation they deserve for their valuable work is a frequent struggle in our industry. When faced with the additional challenge of lower salaries and fewer benefits than the for-profit sector, it’s not surprising that we face high turnover and burnout rates. In an industry focused on the care and concern of our clients, it’s time to start showing equal compassion to our staff.

Within our field, we haven’t done a very good job of taking care of our own people doing the work. In the field of youth work and social services, in particular, people in the field eventually mirror the population they serve. A 2022 survey revealed challenges for nonprofit workers, finding that 64% of employees rated their financial wellness as fair, poor, or very poor.

In other words, your agency’s mission may be to bring others out of poverty at the expense of your staff descending into poverty. You may be working to make healthcare more accessible and not be able to provide your staff with benefits or insurance. Your organization may be providing affordable child care to clients, requiring the staff to work hours when childcare is not available, all while paying them a wage where they, themselves, cannot afford childcare. Does this sound familiar? If so, and you are looking for ways to combat this in your own organization, this session is for you.

Key Takeaways:

• Learn what is considered a living wage.
• Identify what is stopping your agency from paying a living wage.
• Come away with strategies to strategically plan and fundraise for a living wage for all employees.