The Money Mystery

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By Jennifer Warwick

Sara Severance Weinert, vice president for communications at Southwestern College in California, is no job-hopper. She's been with Southwestern since 1982 and knows that her tenure has helped her contribute professionally to the institution. She has seen Southwestern grow from a school with just one off-campus professional studies center to an institution with online learners around the world. Because of her tenure, however, she knows she may not be the most highly paid person in her department. But to her, having a job at a place where she believes in the mission is more important than receiving a particular salary.

"I think when you're with an institution for a long time, you have a sixth sense that occasionally says 'this [project] could be something big,' and you don't have that perspective/judgment if you're always the new kid."

Weinert isn't alone in her thinking. However, being fairly compensated is an important factor to consider for any employee, as well as an employer.

This year's salary survey data look at important variables such as geography, gender, organization size, job description, and supervisory responsibilities, which all play a heavy role in how an employee is paid.

Assuming compensation at your institution still doesn't meet the averages in the survey data, management should be prepared to work on this issue with employees, while individuals should realize that they must demonstrate their own worth in their position.

Beyond the paycheck

Most raises are won through consistent effort, not dramatic sales pitches. And that means doing your homework (including researching salaries for comparable positions with tools like the CASE survey and talking to peers, in person or on listservs), having a positive outlook, and practicing patience.

Some organizations offer managers significant flexibility in changing compensation; others permit salary adjustments to be made only once a year. Understand the performance evaluation and budget process before beginning any discussion of compensation.

Christopher P. Bryant, president of the Bryant Group: Executive Search for Philanthropy, cautions that "there may be some hidden reasons a job is paying above the market," and those reasons don't show up in surveys. Talk to peers at other institutions, comb listserv archives, and remember to research your own organization. Advancement salaries may not be the only ones under market, and increasing those salaries may create other parity issues across the larger institution.

Management consultant John H. Taylor, principal with Advancement Solutions Consulting Group, agrees, advising employees and decision makers to focus on the big picture and communicate. "Emphasize how much you love the job, that you are tied to the institution, and that you don't want to leave," suggests Taylor. "Work with your boss to educate him about the issue from a perspective of flexibility and partnership. Describe the situation in terms of 'us' and what's best for the organization."

Sometimes even if both sides are in agreement that a salary adjustment is needed, a supervisor's hands are tied by policy or other issues. Be prepared that it may take several years of incremental changes to adjust pay scales to the appropriate level.

Understand, too, that compensation in the advancement field has been changing more rapidly than in other university disciplines such as accounting or facilities management.

Be prepared to partner with your manager to start a conversation with human resources about an overall advancement salary audit or even a "reality check" on advancement salaries every three years. You may not see an immediate effect, but you and your colleagues will benefit in the long run.

From behind the desk

For managers, making salary decisions is never easy; but compensation surveys like this one from CASE can help managers or HR identify a possible reason employees are leaving. Taylor says such information also helps when hiring new employees. "I am now doing a ton of recruiting and existing survey data help me guide my clients. [Hiring managers] need a starting place and need to get a feel for what it might cost to recruit the 'dream team,'" he says. These surveys help put it all in perspective-if, that is, you can drill down into the data, as you can with CASE."

The CASE salary survey offers clear job-related indicators for increased compensation, including budget management and supervisory responsibilities. According to Bryant, these markers can not be taken lightly. He explains, "Geography [cost of housing and desirability of the area]; institutional size, scope and budget; size, sophistication and complexity of the program; personal background, professional experiences and professional tenure of the incumbent; institutional 'pedigree' [of the place and the person], individual loyalty to the institution; and educational level of the individual are just a few of the myriad of variables that will affect compensation. Also, the more generous the benefits package, the lower the salary might be." Additionally, salaries appear to be discipline-sensitive, with those who have both front-line fundraising and advancement services skills making more money.

Earning power

There are hundreds of success stories for career transitions in the field-alumni relations to annual giving, communications to corporate and foundation relations, gift processing to donor relations.

Instead of simply walking away from an institution that may not be able deliver a high salary, look to broaden your career plan, maybe into another discipline.

Taylor encourages employees to show initiative by extending their knowledge across all advancement disciplines, with a supervisor's help. "Tell your boss that you want to move up in the field and learn new things," he says.

Brian W. Dowling, assistant vice president for development services at University of Michigan, concurs. "Learn everything about the fundraising business you can," he advises. "Ideally, take on a small portfolio of your own donors-even if you are not a development officer-to gain a better understanding of the field."

Dowling also emphasizes the increasing importance of technology in all parts of the field, and he advises those interested in increasing their compensation to "be well-versed in all of the technical aspects of everything you support. Understand all you can about the Web and how to use it to effectively leverage your advancement/development organizations and operations."

To supervisors, Taylor adds, "There's no reason an alumni relations person shouldn't attend a grantwriting class, or a gift processor attend an 'Intro to Planned Giving' session. It's not only a good long-term investment in their staff, it also allows them to bring new skills to their current work."

Before you go

So what happens if others in your organization are unsupportive of your attempts to master new skills or make a lateral move? Remember that there are other issues to take into account before leaving a job.

Molly Ann Mroczynski, director of corporate giving at the Art Center College of Design in California, says she tries to give her employees a good raise but sometimes is hampered by limited resources available to her. She advises employees to "negotiate the highest possible salary right at the beginning, because you can't always count on the raise you want, even if you are a solid performer."

That's not to say you should just cut and run, however. Dowling advises thoughtful job changes: Studies have shown that job satisfaction does not begin and end with salary.

Bryant advises to look at the total compensation package-salary, bonuses, benefits, and perquisites. "Where do you have some flexibility?" he asks. "If the base salary isn't at the level you require, are you willing to take a 'signing' bonus or request additional vacation days in lieu of the additional salary?"

"Money alone isn't a good reason to make a job change," cautions recruiter Bryant. "It might augment a host of other, better reasons to make a change.

"Yes, make that change if you have given your present employer a return on his investment in hiring you. Yes, if it is an upward career move, with more responsibility and/or is to a larger, more prestigious program and institution," he says. "But no, if the new job doesn't stir your passion about what you do and for whom."

As important as it is to be fairly compensated, it's also clear that truly successful advancement professionals enjoy their jobs, strive for a healthy balance between their work and personal lives, and give back to their community through mentoring, networking, and volunteering.

When asked what defines a successful advancement career, Weinert doesn't even mention money. She quickly answers, "Doing something you love to do, with people you enjoy being around, for an institution whose vision inspires you."