Non Profit Salary Negotiation Tips – Approach For Landing New Jobs
Nonprofit salary negotiation can be a tricky thing, you don’t want to look greedy, but of course you want to make as much as you can to be comfortable in your work and life. When negotiating your salary at a foundation or nonprofit, it is first important to consider where you are applying. When it comes to salary negotiation most finalists (for jobs) concentrate too much on the market, and their own experience level. Though both of these items are most important to us (as the job seeker), they are not the most influential aspect controlling nonprofit job salaries and offers. The most telling and confining aspect is the culture and current salary levels of the current employees at the foundation or nonprofit, and their established budget. A good step in making the best decision on the best salary to ask for is to consider what they are offering for other positions they are recruiting for, and consider their overall culture before you decide on a number.
Nine times out of ten, when it comes to the salary that a nonprofit organization decides to offer, they base it on the realistic span they can offer for the position as it relates to (1) their budget for the position and (2) the other positions and staff they already have in place. So, if the organization is currently paying under market for their current staff members, you should also expect your offer to be the same unless you bring significant additional established value or expertise to the organization.
Organizations are always trying balance the responsibilities of the position and the pay offered, but many times feel that they cannot offer what is required because to do so would also require them to increase salaries for everyone in the department or organization, which would put a large dent in their established budget.
There are many useful salary surveys of the nonprofit sector that exist, but in the end these numbers give us very little guidance because they are a rough outline. It is highly suggested to research the position and job title you are applying for.
Here are some rules to follow when figuring out what salary to ask for:
(1) What was your last salary? Never ask for more than 15% more than this number unless the position caries significant more responsibilities and you can justify it.
(2) If you were paid a competitive (higher than average) wage in your past position you may not find it again in the job that you love in the nonprofit sector.
(3) Always say you are flexible. Giving a hard line number can make you look like you do not want the job, and is a red flag many times for hiring decision makers.
(4) It is OK to ask what the salary range is. You may need to politely ask in order to know if your specific salary needs are realistic. Never ask this question until they bring up the topic of what salary you are seeking. Asking this too early is a big turn off for a prospective employer that may not yet know if they are interested in you.
(5) After you give the number explain why you need it, but just briefly. Here is an example of a good way to describe your salary needs: “In my last position I made $34,000 plus benefits as the Office Coordinator. Because I will now working as an Executive Assistant, I am hoping to gain a base salary of $42,000 to $45,000 to meet living expenses. Of course, I am also flexible and open to negotiations depending upon the exact offered position.” This example also works very well for higher level positions. First establish your value by telling them how much you made in the past, and then professionally tell them what your expectations are. Make sure the salary you suggest is not too far out of their goal salary span.
(6) You are worth not the level of your current salary. You are actually worth the level of salary of the positions you are interviewing for. If you are asked what your salary is, and or what your salary expectations are, after telling them what your current salary is always follow it up with a statement like the following: I think it is also important to share that I am currently interviewing for (NAME THE TITLE OF THE JOBS YOU ARE SEEKING EX: Director of Finance is the example I will use here) Director of Finance roles between the level of 140k and 160k in salary. By sharing this information it establishes your value at the market rate of the roles you are currently being considered for.
(7) The final guideline is to never ask for too much. I have seen this happen many times, and it can backfire. Once you ask for too much, there is no way to later accept 20% less. In the view of the organization and hiring decision maker – the jobseeker will really only be content with the salary they suggest the first time around. If you later say that you would take much less, it will cause them to suspect that if they hired you at the lower salary you would not be content in your position, and would eventually end up leaving. So, do your research, suggest a number that is realistic, and be flexible. In the end, if they make you an offer, most of the time it will be made within five percent of the lowest number that you suggest. The bottom line is to not be greedy, because it’s a sure fire path to not receiving that job offer at all.