The Boland Survey of Not for Profit Compensation
Frequently asked Questions
Following are some frequently asked questions about the survey. Elsewhere on this site you will find reporting examples, positions summaries and participating organizations (Alberta, BC,Ontario) or contact Peter Boland at 403 215 0090 or by email at info@ptbaconsulting.com if you have further questions.
| Q | Where is the survey offered? | ||||||||
| A | The survey has been an annual event for the Alberta Not for Profit sector since 1997 and was introduced to BC in 2006. In 2008 the survey expanded again with a new Regional report for Ontario. Other regional reports will be published as participation in other areas warrants. | ||||||||
| Q | How many organizations are surveyed? | ||||||||
| A | In 2008 the survey included over 230 organizations in Alberta, BC and Ontario. | ||||||||
| Q | What types of organizations are included in the survey? | ||||||||
| A | The survey covers a broad sample of Not for Profit Organizations including, but not limited to:
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| Q | Which positions are surveyed? | ||||||||
| A | In 2008 we surveyed 49 positions. The number of surveyed positions has increased each year as participation has grown and participants have requested additions. The 2008 survey position descriptions can be found at Position Descriptions In 2009 we will be looking at introducing new positions in several areas including:
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| If you would like to suggest additional positions for inclusion please contact us or send a brief description of the position. | |||||||||
| Q | Does the survey report only on salaries? | ||||||||
| A | In addition to salary data the survey reports on a variety of HR policy issues including paid time off, hours of work, benefits, contractor rates. | ||||||||
| Q | How does the survey account for differing organizational scope and complexity? | ||||||||
| A | The survey report includes up to four size based categories in addition to the total sample data for each position surveyed. Organizational size is based on annual operating budget but in 2008 we will also have the capability to analyze the data by revenue should any participant request. | ||||||||
| Q | Why is Annual Operating Budget the basis for determining organizational scope? | ||||||||
| A | We recognize that there are several possible ways to measure organizational size and scope. We have chosen to use Operating Budget as it is not skewed by large fund raising revenue and is closely representative of staff size as well. As mentioned elsewhere we have the capability to do revenue based analysis on request. | ||||||||
| Q | What does the survey cost? | ||||||||
| A | As we wish to encourage participation and make the data a valuable as possible there is no charge to participate, i.e. submit data. The survey fee is invoiced only when a report is requested and varies by the size of the organization. In 2008 the first regional report fee is as follows:
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| Q | Can I receive the report(s) if I don’t participate? | ||||||||
| A | No. Only participating organizations are eligible to purchase the survey reports. | ||||||||
| Q | When is the report available? | ||||||||
| A | The reports are published in mid October based on data received by September 1 each year. | ||||||||
| Q | How do I participate? | ||||||||
| A | The first requirement is that we need to know who you are to ensure you receive the survey invitation so please call or email us with your contact information (we promise not to harass you, we are compensation consultants, not a marketing company). The survey invitations are mailed in early June each year. Data submission packages including the survey job descriptions are then sent to those organizations who indicate that they wish to participate. Data is requested by September 1. | ||||||||
| Q | Will our data be identifiable in the report? | ||||||||
| A | Absolutely not! We carefully protect participant data and report only aggregated statistics to ensure that no participant data can be identified. | ||||||||
| Q | We are a national organization with offices in several regions. How does the survey deal with organizations like ours? | ||||||||
| A | National organizations are recognized in two ways. First, we ask whether the data being submitted is for a National, Regional or Locally focussed office. This enables analysis, particularly of the Top Executive and Senior Manager positions, by the scope of the job. (Some organizations have autonomous Executive Directors at all three levels and all report to their own boards etc.) | ||||||||
| The second way we recognize the multiple levels is that data is reported by region. I.e. Ontario data is included only in the Ontario report, Alberta in the Alberta report etc. A national organization that is reporting for more than one region must therefore report to each regional survey separately. | |||||||||
| Q | Can we access the database for customized analysis? | ||||||||
| A | Yes. Participants can request customized analysis based on selected criteria such as specific organizations or selected size parameters, subject only to our confidentiality protocols. A common request is to analyze the data based only on a sample of identified organizations. A customized sample including organizations in several regions can also be created. These supplementary reports are offered at very reasonable cost. |