Salary Negotiations - tips?

[ahisma]

I'm rapidly approaching my annual review and am determined to ask for a raise this year. Truly, I should have last year, but with COVID interruptions and uncertainty it didn't feel like the right time, and there was an understanding that we were only getting COL increases. I figured there was little chance of getting a positive outcome, so waited until this year. I've taken on significantly more this past year, so now I'm even more determined to ask for a raise.

My core barrier is that I don't really know how to define my role. I'm in-house counsel for a small non-profit, but have taken on a very significant amount of increased responsibility. I now manage staff for one department, have taken on the bulk of leadership for a large and visible community collaborative that we took on as a "clean up" effort (so lots of baggage), write and manage grants, am boots on the ground lead for several pilots, write anything public facing that comes out of the organization, and still write policy / legislation, etc (we have appropriations and state / federal legislation in process). I interface with community's stakeholders and local entity execs, our legislators, our lobbyists - and increasingly expected to make decisions that would have previously needed approval.

My title is Compliance Officer - which barely scrapes the surface...but we have always had hilariously misleading titles. We have a total staff of 12 + about 6 assorted consultants, so very much a small organization. We have reserves, but are running in the red (intentional decision to continue a program that we lost funding for). I'm appreciated and counted on, but my boss is very frugal. I do feel like I am treated fairly, but undercompensated.

All of this is to say - I have no idea what to ask for, financially. Realistically, I'd like at least a 20% raise, but that seems like a big ask. I also think that I bring more value than what a 20% raise would reflect. I'm stuck on the title thing, because I think I need to show him some salary ranges...but don't have any idea how to do that.

I'm great at advocating for others...but really awful at advocating for myself.

[Kestrel]

I'm not very good at this, either, but a couple of thoughts...

20% for a company that is running red might be a lot. Perhaps a stepped raise with 10% for 2022 and additional 10% for 2023? Are there other things you could ask for to improve your total package - better medical? Flex time? Extra vacation time? 401K? Even a better job title that better reflects your current responsibilities! I'm not saying you shouldn't ask for the twenty, but think about what other things might work.

If you are Compliance officer and Public Relations, and lead the collaborative as well, your pay/title should reflect that - even if it means you have more than one title!

[firstbaby]

Deleted

[ahisma]

I'm not very good at this, either, but a couple of thoughts...

20% for a company that is running red might be a lot. Perhaps a stepped raise with 10% for 2022 and additional 10% for 2023? Are there other things you could ask for to improve your total package - better medical? Flex time? Extra vacation time? 401K? Even a better job title that better reflects your current responsibilities! I'm not saying you shouldn't ask for the twenty, but think about what other things might work.

If you are Compliance officer and Public Relations, and lead the collaborative as well, your pay/title should reflect that - even if it means you have more than one title!

I agree that 20% is a big ask - and it's largely because I've taken on so much more this year. It's well known that I'm working about 60 hours/ week for about a year now, and I'm having a tough time stomaching that without additional pay. My pay is not unfair, but is low in my area for my degree / experience / deliverables. My salary is based on 3 in-office days and I'm at 4 (notable because it's an hour drive each way, so it adds up in gas and time).

As for what else I could ask for, I'm really not sure. My PTO is generous, and impossible for me to use all of (I'm rolling over 40 hours this year and walking away from about 10 additional hours). I more or less have flex time. I'd LOVE 401K contributions, but they are not offered and offering them to me only would cause chaos and upset. I don't take any benefits of note - medical, etc. is all through my husband (teacher). I'd also love a return to a 40 hour workweek, but don't see that happening. It's accepted that we will continue at this pace for a minimum of a year, so I'd really like to at least be compensated for the reality that I'm giving up a good chunk of my personal time, in an industry where working that number of hours is very atypical.

As for being in the red - I hear you. I've brought in several other sources of revenue which have helped to stabilize the situation. We easily have 5+ years of funding - likely far more. For various reasons, we're expanding a program which we lost funding for, so we're self-funding a program that was previously federally funded while we seek funding restoration.

[truly scrumptious]

I have done this a few times, so here are some ideas.
- I always start with a simple statement - "We both know I bring value to the organization" - which is a great way to establish agreement up front.
- I follow it up with something like - "I love it here and I want to make sure we have an agreement that works for both of us. I want to be sure you continue to feel like you are getting value from my work, and I want to feel like my contribution is valued." No threat to leave, no posturing, simply setting it up as a win-win.
- Ideally then, point to specific ways in which your role has grown and the value you provide has increased - exactly the way you did in your OP. Even better if you can trace it directly to the bottom line - e.g. "I brought in new revenue sources worth $X which will create $5X in increased revenue over the next few years." or "The additional responsibilities I assumed saved us $X in costs for ______" - you don't need to research commensurate salaries for complex roles like yours but you can look up the hourly rate for outsourcing part-time HR help, or financial help, or legal help - or whatever else you took on as additional responsibilities and assign a $$ value to that.)
- The key is to frame the conversation as - you are NOT asking for a bigger share of the pie - rather you have INCREASED the pie and so your compensation should reflect that.

As for the logistics of HOW your pay might increase, you want to make it easier for him to say yes.
I agree with the PP's suggestion to be prepared to split up your ask and stagger it over time. For example - based on my calculations for the average comp for this role, plus the value created, I think it is worth another $X, but I also know the financial constraints we are under - how about we do 10% now and another 10% in 6 months (or a year, or whatever.) The key here though is that your goal is to get the commitment for both increases, even if you have to wait longer - so you don't want a situation where you get 10% now and will "talk about it" in 6 months. I would counter then with "how about 10% and 10% in a year?" You don't want to have this conversation again in a year because (A) it's hard and (B) at that point you will need to prove INCREMENTAL value again - you won't get credit for the value already created because you already got 10% for that, which may not be enough. Make sense?

Finally, if there is an opportunity to tie your additional comp to money coming in (e.g. a small "commission" each time a funding source you identified provides $$) that will also help reduce his risk since he is paying you out of new funds coming in.

Hope this helps! Good luck! Most importantly, go into this BELIEVING that you deserve it - which it sounds like you do believe. Hold on to that conviction and work on the assumption that he agrees with it.

[mmsmom]

I think truly scrumptious has excellent advice but did want to mention it is not ethical in a nonprofit to ask for commission/bonus/salary increases based on funding or donations. So leave that part out but the rest is great advice.

[truly scrumptious]

I think truly scrumptious has excellent advice but did want to mention it is not ethical in a nonprofit to ask for commission/bonus/salary increases based on funding or donations. So leave that part out but the rest is great advice.

Fair point. I missed that it was non-profit. My experience is all in for-profit. In that world you can tie variable compensation to revenue (from sales) or to cost reduction. Not sure the latter works either in a non-profit scenario where there are pre-determined budgets, so take that part for what it's worth in your scenario.

[KpbS]

Can your non-profit afford to give you a raise? It sounds like you are making significantly less than you would in the private sector for your job with many duties. I know you have chosen this np but maybe a new job closer would be a better fit for now. Just a thought.

[DualvansMommy]

I know this isn’t the bitching post, and I may not intruding here. But I think this is little beyond talking on additional responsibilities. This is tremendous workload you’re taking on for very little acknowledgment of your worth.

I’m also aware you said your org is purposely going into the red, to get funding for one of your programs. I’m not sure what to say beyond just ask for your raise, it isn’t your responsibility to worry about the budget. That is the Executive director and finances responsibility. I’m saying this as someone who works in non profit and my ED is awesome in that she makes sure we are well compensated for our work that is worthwhile to her org. I also know how small the field of NP is, so telling you to get your resume ready and leave isn’t that simple either. Someone above suggested a good alternative in that making your raise gradual. I would also emphasis that it can’t go on indefinitely like this, not if they want to retain valuable & hard working employees who can make lot more in private sector.


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[California]

I agree that 20% is a big ask - and it's largely because I've taken on so much more this year. It's well known that I'm working about 60 hours/ week for about a year now, and I'm having a tough time stomaching that without additional pay. My pay is not unfair, but is low in my area for my degree / experience / deliverables. My salary is based on 3 in-office days and I'm at 4 (notable because it's an hour drive each way, so it adds up in gas and time).

As for what else I could ask for, I'm really not sure. My PTO is generous, and impossible for me to use all of (I'm rolling over 40 hours this year and walking away from about 10 additional hours). I more or less have flex time. I'd LOVE 401K contributions, but they are not offered and offering them to me only would cause chaos and upset. I don't take any benefits of note - medical, etc. is all through my husband (teacher). I'd also love a return to a 40 hour workweek, but don't see that happening. It's accepted that we will continue at this pace for a minimum of a year, so I'd really like to at least be compensated for the reality that I'm giving up a good chunk of my personal time, in an industry where working that number of hours is very atypical.

It might help if you looked up how much it would cost to hire an additional person to do the work you are doing that is beyond your original agreement. It is bound to be a better deal for the nonprofit to pay you an extra 20%, versus hiring someone new, training them, and providing benefits.