Fundraising at the Natural Resources Defense Council
Fundraising is at the core of any non-profit with one of the most pressing donor concerns being how much an organization spends on fundraising. For the Natural Resources Defense Council – a New York City-based organization that raised $177 million last year – the answer appears to be about $12.3 million (or 7% of revenue), according to the IRS Form 990 for the year ending June 30, 2017. These expenses are summarized as follows: Read more 
Where Does $100 to the Natural Resources Defense Council Go?
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) was created in 1970 by a group of attorneys and law students in New York “to safeguard the earth – its people, its plants and animals, and the natural systems on which all life depends.” Initially funded with a $400,000 grant from the Ford Foundation, the NRDC is considered one of the most influential environmental non-profits in the country. Read more
Executive Compensation at the Natural Resources Defense Council
The National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) raised $177 million last year and spent $129 million, leaving $48 million added to the net fund balance which had a $306 million balance at year-end.
The largest expense of the New York-based organization is compensation-related expenses, which totaled $67 million for the 662 staff (an average of $101,200 each). However, 179 employees received more than $100,000 in total compensation with the 16 most highly compensated individuals listed as follows: Read more
Fundraising at Save the Children
Fundraising is a major function at most non-profits including the Save the Children organization in the US, which is legally known as Save the Children Federation, Inc. (referred to as Save the Children in this post). Based in Fairfield, Connecticut, Save the Children raised $760 million in 2017 and spent $720 million, $528 million (or 69% of revenue) of which was awarded in grants overseas, including grants to related organizations. Read more
Where Does $100 to Save the Children Go?
The Save the Children Fund is one of the most recognizable charitable organizations in the world. Established nearly a hundred years ago in 1919, the organization is legally known as Save the Children Federation, Inc. in the United States, but is often simply referred to as “Save the Children.” Read more
Executive Compensation at Save the Children
Save the Children – the Fairfield, Connecticut-based non-profit in the US – is formally known as Save The Children Federation, Inc. and is part of the Save the Children Alliance (a group of 30 Save the Children groups throughout the world that also support Save the Children International). Established in 1932, Save the Children is a 501 (c) (3) and one of the most well-known charities in the world. Read more
Executive Compensation at Stanford
Most people probably don’t know that Stanford’s legal name is “The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University” doing business as Stanford University. And most people probably don’t realize that Stanford’s revenue exceeds expenses by more than a billion dollars a year (for the last several years) which has allowed the university to grow their endowment. With $31.7 billion in net fund assets, Stanford is one of the wealthiest universities in the US along with being what some would refer to as a money-making machine. Read more
Executive Compensation at Columbia (2017)
2017 was a great year for Columbia University (Columbia) and many of its employees. Total revenue reached $5.7 billion while expenses totaled $4.5 billion (not including depreciation) which contributed to the endowment increasing from $13.2 billion to $14.7 billion at year-end, of which only $3.4 billion is permanently restricted.
In terms of compensation, 34,811 employees were compensated $2.8 billion, which equates to an average compensation of $81,000. The 17 most highly compensated individuals (listed below) received $40 million which equates to an average compensation package of $2.4 million each: Read more
Executive Compensation at Columbia (2016)
People often joke about the low compensation in academia but many individuals working for non-profit educational institutions (i.e. colleges and universities) receive very high compensation packages. Although the most highly compensated tend to be investment managers for the endowment, presidents, provosts, department chairs, professors, and fundraisers, the overall average compensation package is often nothing to make light of.
At Columbia University (Columbia) – a private, Ivy-League educational and research university on the Upper West Side in New York City (although there are six campuses, five in New York and one in Paris), 34,437 employees were compensated $2.6 billion (or an average of $76,000 each) in the school year beginning July 1, 2015 and ending June 30, 2016. 4,928 individuals received more than $100,000 in total compensation. Read more
Executive Compensation at University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania (Penn) is a private research university in Philadelphia that is also a member of the Ivy League. With more than $12 billion in the school’s endowment, Penn also includes a hospital, five outpatient facilities, an in-patient rehabilitation center, and 10 research facilities.
The IRS Form 990 (2015) covering the year beginning July 1, 2015 and ending June 30, 2016 reports the following key information about Penn: Read more
