The purpose of "Putting People First" is to build a stronger and more effective nonprofit sector – both within and outside King County, WA – so organizations can be better equipped to better serve our communities. This project is a result of a partnership between 501 Commons and the King County Veterans, Seniors & Human Services Levy. We share a common interest in discovering data-driven solutions to chronic under-investment in the people who work in our sector.
Read King County Executive Dow Constantine's letter to get an idea of what "Putting People First" means.
Employee turnover levels in all sectors in our country are at historic highs. The nonprofit sector is ill equipped to deal with the rising salary and benefit expectations of workers. We are, however, well equipped to attract workers looking for jobs that align with their values. We have the opportunity to come out of this "turnover tsunami" in a better position to help communities recover and to address critical service needs if we can catalyze our partner sectors—business, government, and philanthropy—to help us put people first by investing in improved nonprofit wages and benefits.
Making wage and benefits more transparent & listening to employees
From March to July 2021, 501 Commons administered two ambitious surveys to collect data on wage and compensation practices, employee satisfaction, and the response to COVID.
- Wage & Benefits Survey Report: A critical challenge facing nonprofit organizations is attracting, recruiting, and retaining well qualified professional and support staff. The purpose of this report is to help our sector offer competitive compensation, attractive benefits packages, and equitable policies. Accurate and comprehensive data on salaries and benefits in the nonprofit field will help organizations evaluate their own compensation and benefits practices and guide these policies moving forward. Visit the online 501 Compensation Tracker to easily compare compensation data from several job titles.
- Employee Engagement Survey Report: The purpose of the survey is to identify both the wage and non-wage factors that are linked to high employee engagement, attracting and retaining staff, and producing strong client services. The results of this survey, along with the wage survey, can provide King County nonprofits with comparative information.
"Putting People First" is a call-to-action
Explore King County Nonprofit Salaries
Nonprofits and people looking for a job in the nonprofits can search and compare wage data for 171 nonprofit job titles in King County, WA. The information reflects salary numbers collected from March through July 2021 from 233 responding organizations.
Access compensation dataKing County Nonprofit Wage and Benefits Report
The 2021 King County Nonprofit Wage and Benefits Report provides information on more than 10,000 employees in 171 jobs at 233 organizations located in King County or serving King County residents. Download the report today!
Access the reportKing County Employee Engagement Report
Read the feedback provided by 1,178 nonprofit employees to questions about their job, supervisor, workplace culture, compensation and more. While overall job satisfaction was high, there are lots of opportunities to improve job satisfaction, employee well-being and engagement, and human resource practices.
Listen to the voices of workersInformation on Human Resources
Visit our collection of human resources tools and preferred practices to help you develop and engage your team members. Resources include recruiting practices, a COVID-safe work environment, and preventing sexual harassment
Read moreLearning Connections Catalog and Career Resources
Browse our catalog to find leadership programs, nonprofit degree options, training, and other professional development resources across the Pacific Northwest, as well as resources on finding a job, leadership development strategies, and more.
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