The Unfair Scrutiny of Non-Profit Leaders: A Call for Fairness and Understanding
Recently, The New York Times published an article by Emily Steel about GLAAD CEO Sarah Kate Ellis, and it got me thinking about a trend that drives me crazy: the unfair scrutiny of non-profit leaders. These articles often paint CEOs or Executive Directors (EDs) as villains, accusing them of misspending donations and grant funds. Many times, these alarm bells are sounded by disgruntled ex-employees or misguided former board members. It seems that journalists rarely take the time to truly understand the non-profit sector beyond getting a response quote to specific questions from the organization.
Don't get me wrong, genuine wrongdoing should be exposed and punished. However, these exposés often do a hatchet job on the individual and the non-profit, leaving lasting scars on both that can take years to heal. In the case of GLAAD, the criticisms aimed at Sarah Kate Ellis seem unfounded. Her attendance at an expensive conference was paid for and encouraged by a funder. Her first-class travel, while seemingly luxurious, might be justified by her frequent long-distance travels or the notoriety that can make flying in economy problematic. Additionally, organizations often accumulate travel miles that can cover such upgrades.
Reporters also love to highlight executive salaries and bonuses as if they are inherently wrong. Sarah Kate Ellis raised GLAAD’s budget to $30 million through extensive fundraising and reputation repair, yet the focus remains on her salary rather than her accomplishments. This scrutiny is not applied as rigorously to executives in the for-profit world or even to leaders in religious non-profits. Curiously, these stories often target women CEOs, perpetuating a biased narrative.
While non-profits are indeed funded by public dollars and private donations, I challenge anyone to find a non-profit ED or CEO who doesn’t work over 40 hours a week, constantly fundraising and thinking about their organization’s mission. It's one of the hardest jobs out there. ED’s are expected to secure funding, run understaffed programs, write time-consuming grants, and manage HR, finances, communications, and marketing, often without the necessary support. Often times funding allotments are use or lose it and must be spent in the same fiscal year, leaving very little leeway for creating reserves. Non-profits are always understaffed and underfunded and ED’s are often the first to take a salary cut when funding is scarce.
GLAAD, as a national organization, has more resources than many smaller or state-based non-profits, but the leadership challenges remain similar. Being a national leader simply means there are more people to serve and a broader mission to accomplish.
When you read these “exposés,” I urge you not to rush to judgment. Don’t pull your donations or tarnish your view of non-profits based on sensationalized headlines. Leading a non-profit is incredibly hard work, and CEOs deserve to be compensated fairly. A first-class seat or a work-related event is often laden with responsibilities or directly requested by a funder. You can’t make judgments based solely on receipts and optics.
Most of us in the non-profit world run a very tight ship when it comes to funding, and these articles are just another example of sting pieces designed for clicks and attention. Let's be fair and balance the real stories of those tirelessly working behind the scenes at non-profits. Let’s continue to support them through donations and grants and engage in conversations about how funds are used.
If we’re looking for sting operations, perhaps we should turn our attention to many large-scale church leaders who claim non-profit status while flying private jets and living in luxury. Or let's talk about the 1% who, with their exorbitant for-profit salaries, lead overstaffed teams and receive bonuses that far exceed the annual earnings of most non-profit staff, while not paying their fair share in taxes.
Non-profit leaders are committed to their missions and deserve respect, understanding, and appropriate compensation for their relentless dedication. Let's focus on uplifting their work and ensuring they have the resources to continue making a positive impact.
If you’re a nonprofit leader in need of resources or support contact Shoreline Advisors today to receive a free consultation and let’s chart your course to success together.
Kristin Fairholm | CEO/Founder | Shoreline Advisors
