About
Thank you for reading the Paddock Post – an informational website that has evolved to primarily focus on non-profits (although posts on food, books, travel, and current events will appear from time to time).
Non-profits do a lot of great things in this country but all too often a large portion of donations and other income to these organizations are spent on high salaries, benefits, pension and retirement funds, travel, overhead and fundraising costs. I analyze IRS Form 990’s (the tax forms most of these organizations are required to submit annually) and summarize this information in an easy to understand way so readers know where their charitable dollars are spent. In addition, posts are made about executive compensation and other information that is generally not posted on a non-profit’s website.
The products I write about have been purchased – not given to me – and I don’t receive anything from vendors or publishers whose products I endorse. There are many small businesses making excellent products and so I pass along this information.
On the personal side, my name is Anne Paddock. After graduating from college, I worked for 5 years, took the GMAT, quit work and went back to school, earning my MBA from Duke University. I went into banking and stayed in that field for 12 years before moving to Europe. Now back in the States with my family, I hope to share what I find, read, and learn through this site.
Paddock Post 
Many are paid millions…..read on.
I just discovered your blog, because I was trying to decide about donating to a non-profit. Over the years I have gotten more and more skeptical of them. Our daughter worked for a local one in a low level position and I was shocked when I discovered the CEO was making $200,000. When one of her hardworking co-workers asked for a raise after having been with the organization for some time she was given the “you shouldn’t expect a raise when you work in a non-profit organization” response from the high paid CEO.
Do you run across any non-profits that don’t pay six figure salaries to their Executives? If so please share with us.
Buttons
I’m a software engineer by day, and well, by night. I’ve been thinking about for years creating a database that tracks all the charities, NGOs, congress people, appointed officials, their families, PACS, and money flow between all of them. NOT TO DOXX, but to show how so much money spent by charities, NGOS, and PACS, that is basically money laundering. I would love to help, but the task is so daunting, I don’t no where to begin. A charity that spends $114 million on salaries alone and $10 million on their targeted group is a scam. Heck insurance companies are required to spend 85% of premiums on health care, why aren’t non-profits held to that level? ASPCA spends most on salaries, than on fund raising. They have $500 million in assets! That is INSANE amount of money. Fire the entire staff, set up a trust, invest in some safety bonds, big stocks with dividends and use that income for eternity to spend MORE on animal welfare than they currently do. To claim they fight cruelty to animals, yet only spent $2 million on legal expenses? They aren’t suing any one into compliance. It is all a grift.
Back years ago when the Hillary email scandal was blowing up Harvard(?) released a data visualization tool that allowed any bubble to be clicked on and it would show a person and all the connections via the emails to all other people. I envision the same tool for the charities on one level, to track money / grants to other groups. Click into each charity or group, and then all the board members, spokesmen, influencers, and their connections to other people and groups. The bubble sizes would represent dollars, the lines would be colored green for assets, inflows, and red for outflows, expenses.
I just stumbled upon the site minutes ago, and found this all very interesting. I’m older and trying to give away more, and wanted to give to the “right” places.
I read about the founder of the site.
I went to Duke, too !
graduated in 70
AND my big sister is named Ann so
This has got to be a God thing…!
robert snell
Interesting information- thanks for sharing.
I realized that many of the non-profit CEO’s made a very decent salary but the salaries for the Girl’s Scout staff was – astonishing. I may pause before I buy another box of GS cookies?
Stumbled onto your blog today. Thank you for putting the work in to publicize this information, Anne. I’m having trouble squaring non-profit hospital systems paying millions to their top leadership while nurses struggle with paying for graduate school. Some of these health systems contribute as little as $2500/year for education. This translates to nurses choosing the lowest cost provider. Is that how people want their caregivers trained? At for-profit degree farms that skate by on accreditation?
People: Ask your nurses where they went to school should you find yourself advocating in a hospital for yourself or a loved one. Remember how well the credit agencies protected us from the financial crisis? Think the Accrediting bodies for nursing are doing a better job? Sorry, but Capella is not turning out the same quality in their graduates as Duke or Stanford or any legitimate higher educator.
reminds me of the salvation army
they seem to be like a pyramid scheme some of them non for profits , volunteers doing the work people at the top living comfortably to say the least ,,,,
Based on some of Anne’s past comments, I suspect I’m way right of her on the political spectrum. But I appreciate that she provides this information. I’m generally a free market guy, so view salaries as something both parties are within rights to negotiate. But for non-profits they should be transparent so I can make my own decision if the organization is being a good steward of resources. They shouldn’t starve, but most people of character I know do this type of work first to serve others. Just taking a 500+ salary for ANYTHING non-profit would require rationalization and inflated opinion of self in the extreme. Yes they can do it, just not with my money. Too many donors blindly support these organizations not knowing the ‘elites’ are getting rich in the guise of doing good works. Waiting for that report on BLM…
I felt like crying when reading the salaries of the executives of St. Jude’s. Shameful!
I do not regularly reach out to non-profits because it has not proven to be worthwhile. Marketing staff are geared to present their organization in the best possible light which does not include reporting highly compensated employees, first class travel, charter travel, companion travel, discretionary spending accounts, tax indemnifications, gross up payments, retirement plans, male dominated boards, and that most highly compensated employees are male. Non-profits can choose to be completely transparent and put this information on their websites and as you say “add context” but I have yet to see one that does. I generally report the information the public has a right to know but is not reported on the non-profit’s website. If they reported this information, I wouldn’t have to make these posts.
Thanks for your long term efforts.Non-profit compensation is complicated, but the transparency of sunlight is very important. And someone helping to add context is very helpful.
Do you regularly reach out to the non-profits to ask them to add insights to your reviews? They may all say no thanks, but that in itself is notable.
Thanks Rick.
I stumbled on Anne’s site a while back by chance. I appreciate her efforts to provide facts regarding the funding and management of non-profits. The more I read, the more depressed I get to find so many non-profits that pay exorbitant salaries to their upper management and have so many highly paid middle managers. Don’t believe they should starve, but by definition non-profits should be attracting leaders who are there first to serve and yes that might mean earning a slightly less than competitive salary when compared to the private sector..
The solution is for people who fund these organizations to vote with their dollars. It might be tempting to look towards government to get involved as with so many other problems, but their bureaucracy is one of the worst offenders, padding the nest and leveraging power for family and friends and retiring wealthy. I’m in a life stage that permits me to be more generous with charitable giving, and I’ve begun letting those in charge or doing fund-raising know what I think of the bloated bureaucracies and high salaries.
FYI. I worked for Compassion International for 44 years. Watched with sadness as humility and ministry were slowly replaced with pridefulness and a sense of entitlement. Retired 5 years ago. Sponsor donations were never sent in whole or in part directly to the children–nor should they have been sent in that manner. The church-based project center received an amount based on the “monthly child support rate”, which ranged from $19-$20 or so. My wife and I no longer sponsor any children nor make any donations to CI due to the high salary rates paid to the upper level staff people. Given the nature of CI’s work, we felt it was inconsistent with Biblical values to pay leaders such high amounts.
Thank you! Regardless of one’s politics, always good to know where all that money is going.
Great suggestion. I briefly looked them up and found out they were established in 2013. Charity Navigator and Pro Publica have copies of the 2017 Form 990 which doesn’t show much. I went to the Black Lives Matter website but they do not appear to have a link to their most recent Form 990. I emailed them to request a public copy. Unfortunately, there is usually a 1-2 year delay in Form 990 information (i.e. most non-profits have their 2018 out right now). I suspect substantial donations were made in 2019 and 2020 and the Form 990’s for these years won’t be available until 2021-2022. Will keep you posted.
Just discovered your blog. Would love to hear your analysis of Black Lives Matter (the organization)
Here are some links to info on the Salvation Army:
i am also interested in salvation army salvation army
I am very interested in the sky high compensation to nonprofit executives. Please post more.
Hi Anne, A blast from your past..Lisa Olsson, now Ravicz. Formerly MBA world traveler, now mom of 2, husband of 1 and part time teacher of high school drop outs. Life sure is less ambitious and more enjoyable. A friend of mine found your blog, referred it to me and I replied “I know her!” If your travels bring you north I am still living in Cambridge. If your travels bring you waaaaay south, we lived in Chile 3 years ago and have travel hints. Happy Thanksgiving!
LIsa
Thanks Amy…so happy you enjoy it.
Dear Anne, I have had your 2011 Christmas letter on my desk to respond to your blog for a whole year – finally I went into your blog – it is wonderful. What a talented gal you are – you are truly blessed. Loved reading your bio. I have not read your “thesis” on each subject but will do so. What I have read is most intesting. So enjoyed this year’s card, news, and great pic of all the family. Will be in touch again. All the best, Amy Howell (banking days seem eons ago!
Thanks.
I’ve been reading your blog for awhile, love it! : )