Monday, March 3, 2008

For The Love O' Children

While cruising around the adoptee blogosphere, I made a pit stop at living, laughing, whining...as a korean adoptee's blog and mine eyes fell upon a table listing in ascending order the salaries of top officials at some popular "non-profit" adoption agencies. This table originally appeared in a blog called Pound Pup Legacy.

Let's see:

In 2005, the CEO at The Children's Aid Society made $387,683. [Hm, McMansion anyone?]

In 2006, the Executive Director at Chinese Children Charities made $169,162. [Me thinks the board of directors at this "charity" has been a little too charitable to its top brass.]

Now, for some big name brands:

  • The President at National Council for Adoption made $150,104.
  • The Executive Director at Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute made $132,653.
  • The President at Holt International Children's Services made an even $132,000.

Am I being a little too judgmental about pointing out the salaries these executives make at supposed non-profit adoption agencies/advocacy groups?

Don't their salaries appear a bit disproportionate to their agencies' mission statements about 'finding families for kids' or 'providing much needed assistance to special needs children'?

Sure, employees at these agencies and think tanks deserve a living wage just like the rest of us. And, obviously, seniority and hiearchies will persist in any business, and monetary compensation will be tapered accordingly.

But, a single person making $100,000 or more at a self-professed non-profit organization? I don't know, I guess the first word that comes to mind is "absurd".

2 comments:

Mary said...

I wonder what percentage of the revenue at these "nonprofits" actually go their stated cause.

KMA said...

That would be good to know, Mary. You figure that these agencies are doing charity on the cheap by investing just enough of their donations and fees into projects in the developing world. Every little bit helps, they say. Sure, especially when your executive director/president/CEO is getting quite a big helping him/herself.

Yech, cynicism reigns.