Charitable CEO Pay Shows Growing Gap In Humanity and Greed.

An article on the growing disparity between charitable organization CEO's and large corporate CEO pay.  The article, by Harvy Lipman, is from Business Week Online but first appeared in The Chronicle of Philanthropy.


Why are heads of charitable organizations salaries growing more slowly than the CEO's of large corporations?
1.  Donors watch how their money is spent much more closely than shareholders.
2.  Big Corporate CEO's have less shame about their greed.
3.  Philanthropic CEO's have enough awareness and humanity to accept that the returns they receive for their talent are way beyond money.  I feel sorry for the narrow minded Corporate CEO.

A message to Philanthropic CEO's who compare their pay to large corporations.
Almost all major philanthropic organizations pay six figures to their CEO.  If some charitable organization Executive Director/CEO needs a salary competitive with big corporations - please leave the world of philanthropy - I doubt you'll be able to do a good job or identify with your grantees and the good work of your organization.

Something my brother-in-law told me when I was fretting about leaving my exceedingly high paying job in the corporate world.
"It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to get into heaven"

If I replace "into heaven" with happiness and contentment this quote from the Matthew 19:24 still makes sense to us secular humanists.  It was very good advice.