Patoo on you, Mr. Reporter Guy

My friend Faye was recently quoted in the Globe and Mail.

The reporter’s angle was disclosure of CEO salaries in non-profit organizations and foundations. Without a doubt, every organization should be accountable to its shareholders whether they are for profit or non-profit.

Disclosing CEO salaries of non-profits? Why? Somehow I think the Boards of Directors in place have an inkling as to the value of the people they hire. Not to get into the whole ball of wax including the vast differences in non-profit organizations that makes such comparisons difficult.

Patoo, I say Mr. Reporter-guy. Take a look at the total picture. You provide an interesting table. Apples and oranges, Mr. Reporter-guy.

Your headline is sensational and yes, maybe the issue of salary disclosure needs to be discussed. But you picked on a friend to make your point — a point made at the expense of a truly remarkable individual making a difference. 

My charitable contributions are a valued part of my financial resources. I may not be a big donor but I do donate. Should I entrust my estate to the Vancouver Foundation, I think I would be delighted that the proportion allocated to staff funds is very low when compared to another organization such as the MS Society which from your chart appears to have just as many high salaried employees as the Salvation Army yet with far fewer total assets to manage.

Name of charity Assets People with salaries between $80-$119k People with salaries over $119k
Salvation Army $1,166,816,045 2 3
Vancouver Foundation 602,795,972 2 2
Hospital for Sick Children Foundation 461,206,742 5
The Calgary Foundation 265,216,955 1 1
Ducks Unlimited Canada 96,422,000 5
Care Canada 52,677,191 4 1
World Vision Canada 45,759,731 1 4
Canadian National Institute for the Blind 43,544,336 5
Unicef Canada 31,395,166 1 4
Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada 15,436,924 2 3

SOURCE: BASED ON THEIR MOST RECENT FILINGS WITH THE CANADA REVENUE AGENCY.

Patoo again, I say Mr. Reporter-guy. Apples and oranges. Total administrative costs vs. total income managed. Simple comparisons you totally missed. But you got the sensational headline and backed one CEO into a no-win corner about her salary. Patoo on you for the third and final time.

To view the Globe and Mail article, GO HERE

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