Foundation Salaries Rose in 2011, Report Says

The report's key findings and trends include the following:

• In 2011, independent foundations reported the highest median salary ($86,000), trailed by much lower medians for public foundations ($66,000), community foundations ($59,100) and other grant makers ($55,105).
• Respondents in the Northeast and West had higher median salaries ($79,150 and $75,000, respectively) than those in the South ($65,000) and Midwest ($64,000).
• Among the 34 positions the survey tracked, chief executives/chief giving officers and program officers accounted for the largest share of reported salaries (11% each). The median salary for CEOs/CGOs was $142,000, while program officers had a median salary of $80,000.
• Independent and family foundations reported higher median CEO salaries ($188,845 and $164,900, respectively) than public ($142,413) and community foundations ($109,242).
• Eighty-seven percent of respondents expected to or already had increased staff salaries for 2011—a median increase of 3%.
• Between 2007 and 2011, median foundation salaries experienced a nominal increase of 14.3%.
• Seventy-seven percent of all respondents (88% of those offering voluntary benefits) provided medical benefits to their full-time employees. The share rose to 98% among grant makers with at least $100 million in assets.
• Among all respondents, the median total cost of staff benefits (required and voluntary) as a percentage of total payroll was 25%.
• About half of respondents covered the full cost of single-coverage medical benefits.

The report's findings are based on responses to an online survey of 910 grant makers, reporting salaries for some 7,500 full-time employees.