Reimagining Compensation: It’s Time to Stop Building on Inequities of the Past

The story of ongoing organizational transformation is incomplete without sharing some of the real, concrete changes made to organizational systems and structures—in this case, compensating staff. Compensation is where values are tested, willingness to take (real or perceived) organizational risks is codified, and ultimately where decisions are made that directly affect people’s livelihoods.

At the heart of work toward justice and equity lies a redistribution of power and resources that have been tilted to flow in a particular direction. For many nonprofits, that flow of power and resources has been in the direction of white, upwardly mobile, leadership. The work of shifting this tilt and achieving balance takes courage, boldness, and relentless attention. It requires us to challenge each other to think and rethink the assumptions we hold about what work is valued in what ways and why.