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Pay Raise Negotiations at Non-Profits

NeverTrump

NeverTrump

Exposing GOP since 2015
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So some of you know my struggles in the job market. Since I am having no luck there I am now in the process of negotiating for a BIG pay raise at my current job. Any pointers on what I should do? I spoke to the CEO about this, after I just finished a project that would have cost them $1200 with a contractor, and he said I should write something up and we'll talk to the board about it. So how do I explain to a board of very religious/non-technical people my value to the agency?

We don't get annual raises. The agency has NOT given out raises in over a decade. But I was hired as a IT Technician and now do the same job duties that a sysadmin does. Even though I do not have that title my salary is on the LOWER END of what a IT Technician makes. This has to change. I'm planning on getting a condo, married, and a PhD in the next five years. I cannot support that on a salary in the $30Ks. I know industry averages are in the $60K-$75K range, but I'd be happy with $55-60K.

The caveat here is that charities are usually suckers for pay raises, because you are supposed to love the work you do. I do love the work I do, but the charity is not very technical and it's up to me to be the jack-of-all trades. Their focus is not technology based and therefore the position has hindered my efforts to become at other more corporate jobs with specialized software we cannot afford.
 
NeverTrumpGOP said:
So some of you know my struggles in the job market. Since I am having no luck there I am now in the process of negotiating for a BIG pay raise at my current job. Any pointers on what I should do? I spoke to the CEO about this, after I just finished a project that would have cost them $1200 with a contractor, and he said I should write something up and we'll talk to the board about it. So how do I explain to a board of very religious/non-technical people my value to the agency?

We don't get annual raises. The agency has NOT given out raises in over a decade. But I was hired as a IT Technician and now do the same job duties that a sysadmin does. Even though I do not have that title my salary is on the LOWER END of what a IT Technician makes. This has to change. I'm planning on getting a condo, married, and a PhD in the next five years. I cannot support that on a salary in the $30Ks. I know industry averages are in the $60K-$75K range, but I'd be happy with $55-60K.

The caveat here is that charities are usually suckers for pay raises, because you are supposed to love the work you do. I do love the work I do, but the charity is not very technical and it's up to me to be the jack-of-all trades. Their focus is not technology based and therefore the position has hindered my efforts to become at other more corporate jobs with specialized software we cannot afford.
Click to expand...

Danger Will Robinson!

Why are you spending so much time blogging and at DP when you need to be out hustling? That is the first thing, the second is that you are at a place where you can very easily talk yourself out of the job you have...tread lightly.
 
Research and documentation

Write up a detailed job description of what you do as part of your job. Find a similar job and record what they do. Then find the pay scale for jobs in that sector from low to high. Focus on the median and average. Present them with that info and state what you would like and that you really like working there and would like to continue
 
NeverTrumpGOP said:
So some of you know my struggles in the job market. Since I am having no luck there I am now in the process of negotiating for a BIG pay raise at my current job. Any pointers on what I should do? I spoke to the CEO about this, after I just finished a project that would have cost them $1200 with a contractor, and he said I should write something up and we'll talk to the board about it. So how do I explain to a board of very religious/non-technical people my value to the agency?

We don't get annual raises. The agency has NOT given out raises in over a decade. But I was hired as a IT Technician and now do the same job duties that a sysadmin does. Even though I do not have that title my salary is on the LOWER END of what a IT Technician makes. This has to change. I'm planning on getting a condo, married, and a PhD in the next five years. I cannot support that on a salary in the $30Ks. I know industry averages are in the $60K-$75K range, but I'd be happy with $55-60K.

The caveat here is that charities are usually suckers for pay raises, because you are supposed to love the work you do. I do love the work I do, but the charity is not very technical and it's up to me to be the jack-of-all trades. Their focus is not technology based and therefore the position has hindered my efforts to become at other more corporate jobs with specialized software we cannot afford.
Click to expand...
It's rather odd that you're having trouble in the current job market -- the country is, after all, facing less than structural unemployment, thus making it a job-seekers' market.


Red:
What are the firm's annual revenues? I don't much care, but having run my own firm and later run a practice unit of a global firm, I can say that were an employee of mine to make a case for a raise based on having saved my original or later firm $1200, that employee wouldn't have a leg to stand on, most especially not for a "BIG pay raise."

I think you're better off making a qualitative case based on your having consistently exceeded the defined expectations of your role and having periodic reviews that document your having done so. Additionally, you may be able to make the case that you are currently underpaid give whatever is normal/scale for the position and work you have been performing. To do that, however, you'll need to research what the pay ranges are for folks having jobs similar to your own and in similarly sized firms in the same industry and geography.
 
Xelor said:
It's rather odd that you're having trouble in the current job market -- the country is, after all, facing less than structural unemployment, thus making it a job-seekers' market.


Red:
What are the firm's annual revenues? I don't much care, but having run my own firm and later run a practice unit of a global firm, I can say that were an employee of mine to make a case for a raise based on having saved my original or later firm $1200, that employee wouldn't have a leg to stand on, most especially not for a "BIG pay raise."

I think you're better off making a qualitative case based on your having consistently exceeded the defined expectations of your role and having periodic reviews that document your having done so. Additionally, you may be able to make the case that you are currently underpaid give whatever is normal/scale for the position and work you have been performing. To do that, however, you'll need to research what the pay ranges are for folks having jobs similar to your own and in similarly sized firms in the same industry and geography.
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It's just the latest example of me feeling underappreciated. This was one project out of MANY. Perhaps totaling up to $1 million in savings, definitely hundreds of thousands. I'm not sure, I have yet to calculate it. I don't know what the agency revenues are or what their budget is, but I would love to get a IT Budget for the year before I started. That would really make things clear.

As far as the job market goes, I am picky but because the agency isn't tech focused, we don't have the budget to train staff on new technologies that are marketable. Honestly if it wasn't for me we'd still be in the process of upgrading to Windows 7.
 
Hawkeye10 said:
Danger Will Robinson!

Why are you spending so much time blogging and at DP when you need to be out hustling? That is the first thing, the second is that you are at a place where you can very easily talk yourself out of the job you have...tread lightly.
Click to expand...

I am generally not online in the afternoons, when I am free to do so. However, I can't take off work for interviews all the time, but it's not like I get them all that much anyway.
 
Lord Tammerlain said:
Research and documentation

Write up a detailed job description of what you do as part of your job. Find a similar job and record what they do. Then find the pay scale for jobs in that sector from low to high. Focus on the median and average. Present them with that info and state what you would like and that you really like working there and would like to continue
Click to expand...

That works for me!
 
NeverTrumpGOP said:
I am generally not online in the afternoons, when I am free to do so. However, I can't take off work for interviews all the time, but it's not like I get them all that much anyway.
Click to expand...

My one insight re non profits is the experience of my childhood friend Brian. He had a masters and was published, he took on the task of the lead of a nature conservancy with one big plot of land...He managed day to day at the site and fundraising, did it for three years, he was sure very well, and was also sure that he had surpassed the goals set for him. He asked for a raise with he was sure a great argument to back up his request. I am not sure that he ever got to make his argument fully, he got told "This is what we have to spend on that, obviously it is time for you to move on to what every you are going to do next..... we are sure that you will be great...we will expect you to be gone at the end of the month".

Ker=PLunk
 
NeverTrumpGOP said:
So some of you know my struggles in the job market. Since I am having no luck there I am now in the process of negotiating for a BIG pay raise at my current job. Any pointers on what I should do? I spoke to the CEO about this, after I just finished a project that would have cost them $1200 with a contractor, and he said I should write something up and we'll talk to the board about it. So how do I explain to a board of very religious/non-technical people my value to the agency?

We don't get annual raises. The agency has NOT given out raises in over a decade. But I was hired as a IT Technician and now do the same job duties that a sysadmin does. Even though I do not have that title my salary is on the LOWER END of what a IT Technician makes. This has to change. I'm planning on getting a condo, married, and a PhD in the next five years. I cannot support that on a salary in the $30Ks. I know industry averages are in the $60K-$75K range, but I'd be happy with $55-60K.

The caveat here is that charities are usually suckers for pay raises, because you are supposed to love the work you do. I do love the work I do, but the charity is not very technical and it's up to me to be the jack-of-all trades. Their focus is not technology based and therefore the position has hindered my efforts to become at other more corporate jobs with specialized software we cannot afford.
Click to expand...

I feel your pain, I wasted some years at non profits....bad money, bad practices and they use up employees. Get a job with a huge company, make money, then retire.
 
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