80% of Nonprofits in N.Y., D.C., and Philadelphia to Hire in 2018

November 13, 2017 | Read Time: 3 minutes

Next year will be a big one for hiring at nonprofits in three major East Coast metropolitan areas, according to a new survey. But those organizations may struggle to find candidates with the skills they need to fill those jobs.

Eighty percent of nonprofits in the survey of salaries and staffing trends in the New York, Philadelphia, and Washington metropolitan areas said they plan to hire new staff members in 2018, up from the 57 percent that said they have added employees this year.

The annual study by PNP Staffing Group revealed that the demand for nonprofit talent continues to heat up. Over all, 79 percent of managers surveyed reported they were at least somewhat concerned about competing for talent. One in three had lost a preferred job candidate over a small difference between the offered salary and what the candidate requested.

Sixty-five percent of organizations in New York—along with 60 percent in Philadelphia and 54 percent in Washington—said they have seen a shortage of candidates with the skills they require for the positions they sought to fill.

“For the first time in our reporting, a significant portion of nonprofit organizations encountered a ‘skills gap’ in recruiting their workforce,” said Gayle Brandel, PNP’s president, in a statement. “This reinforces the continuing need for improved training programs and professional development not only to recruit, but to retain, talented executives.”

The survey gathered data from more than 1,500 organizations, including the salaries of 44 positions.

Women, Millennials, Retirees

For the second year in a row, the report found that program growth is the main reason the organizations plan to hire next year, with roughly half of nonprofits in all three metropolitan areas citing that factor.

However, while 43 percent of nonprofits in New York and Philadelphia picked turnover and retirements as the second most common reason for hiring, 46 percent of Washington organizations said they were adding workers because of marketing and communication needs, making this the second most common reason for adding workers in that market.

Among other findings in the report:

• More than 60 percent of organizations said that at least half of their senior leadership roles are filled by women.

• About half of the organizations said they now employ millennials in senior leadership positions.

• Arts organizations, followed by education groups and social-service nonprofits, were most likely to say they will need to replace retirees next year. Roughly 46 percent of arts groups in all three markets said they expect to encounter that situation.

Chief Executive Salaries

Orgnanization’s budget size	New York	Philadelphia	Washington
More than $50 million	$330,000 to $400,000	n/a	$330,000 to $380,000
$20.1 million to $50 million	$270,000 to $320,000	$200,000 to $230,000	$270,000 to $320,000
$10.1 million to $20 million	$220,000 to $270,000	$160,000 to $190,000	$220,000 to $270,000
$5.1 million to $10 million	$180,000 to $220,000	$130,000 to $160,000	$175,000 to $220,000
$2 million to $5 million	$140,000 to $170,000	$120,000 to $140,000	$140,000 to $170,000

Chief Development Officer Salaries

Organization’s budget size	New York	Philadelphia	Washington
More than $50 million	$220,000 to $270,000	n/a	$200,000 to $250,000
$20.1 million to $50 million	$180,000 to $220,000	$150,000 to $180,000	$170,000 to $210,000
$10.1 million to $20 million	$150,000 to $180,000	$120,000 to $150,000	$140,000 to $170,000
$5.1 million to $10 million	$120,000 to $160,000	$110,000 to $120,000	$120,000 to $150,000
$2 million to $5 million	$100,000 to $120,000	$100,000 to $110,000	$90,000 to $120,000