I work for a non-profit as well. I don't want to say too much on-line, but non-profits can pay very well, depending on the size of the organization.
Here are a few more nonprofit executives and employees who topped the Chronicle's prestigious 2008 compensation list:
--David Silvers, Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Columbia University: $3.7 million
--Zev Rosenwaks, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Cornell University: $3.3 million
--James Madara, Vice President of Medical Affairs at University of Chicago: $2.8 million
--John Powers, President of Stanford Management Co., Stanford University: $2.4 million
--John Sexton, President of New York University: $1.3 million
--Lee Bollinger, President of Columbia University: $1.3 million
--Amy Gutmann, President of University of Pennsylvania: $1.2 million
And your parents told you that you'd never bring home decent salary from a nonprofit!
"Reasonable" Compensation?
Shocked and appalled at these exorbitant executive salaries, some critics believe the IRS should put a cap on the salary a nonprofit CEO can earn. As of right now, the IRS simply states that nonprofit CEOs should receive "reasonable compensation."
Obviously, the definition of "reasonable" varies wildly among nonprofits. While some organizations believe $150,000 is perfectly sensible, others apparently think their noble CEOs deserve millions. After all, there's nothing quite like driving your Ferrari home to your 6,000 square foot mansion after a long, hard day of fighting for the cause.