There is a common misconception that “Nonprofit work doesn’t pay.” And while it is definitely true that an individual’s lifetime earnings are typically higher in the private sector than in the public sector, that does not mean that nonprofit work does not pay at all, or that equity and market demands cannot or should not be considered.
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Sure, there are plenty of instances where nonprofit staff are making far less than they should, given the high cost of living in the metropolitan areas where their nonprofit organizations are based. However, nonprofit organizations that are doing it right should be paying their employees a comfortable wage to equip them to do the kind of important work that protects their communities and the world at large. And the self-fulfillment that they garner along the way should be an added bonus on top of their compensation, not a substitute for it.