Real-life MMD: Should I try to boost my salary at a charity?

A question about : Real-life MMD: Should I try to boost my salary at a charity?

Money Moral Dilemma: Should I try to boost my salary at a charity?

I've been offered a job at a charity I really care about, but it turns out the starting wage is Ј5,000 less than my current wage. It also involves odd working hours and a longer, more expensive commute. They really want me, I want to take the job, but I don't know if I can take the financial hit. Is it unreasonable to haggle on my starting wage, even though the employer is a charity?

If you haven’t already, join the forum to reply

Note: Please remember that these are real-life Money Moral Dilemmas and while we want you to have your say, please remember to be nice when you respond.

If you have a real-life money MORAL dilemma, email MMD@moneysavingexpert.com

Previous MMDs: View All

This Forum Tip was included in MoneySavingExpert's weekly email
Don't miss out on new deals, loopholes, and vouchers
FAQs
Privacy Policy
Past Emails
Unsubscribe

Best answers:

• Could you afford to give the charity in question Ј5000 a year plus the extra commuting costs, while volunteering the extra "odd hours" for them too? If not, don't accept.
  Tell them what would make you accept the job, and negotiate from there. They'll decide if having you on board is worth the outlay.
• What salary is the person currently on?
  If they're currently on Ј20000 they'd be taking a 25% pay cut, if they are on Ј100000 they'd be taking a 5% pay cut and still earning more than 4.5 times more than the person on Ј20000.
• I was in a VERY similar position before Christmas, offered job, 4k less, fewer WEEKS holiday therefore would be paying out more for childcare through summer etc. All that on top of relocation meant I had to say no... they did offer 2k more but it still didn't balance to move everything. Sad about it but right decision at that time. I couldn't afford to just give money away.
• Don't take it, let someone who is committed to the charity take it instead as they won't be motivated by money.
• Why not haggle on the Terms & Conditions e.g. would they allow you to work from home on some days, thus reducing the commuting cost?
• You say the starting wage is Ј5,000 less, but you don't say whether there is a salary range and whether there is room for negotiation. Are your prospective new employers aware of what you are currently being paid? Would you fill a significant skills gap in their team?
  In principle there is nothing wrong with negotiating on the starting salary and if your concern over this is solely because they are a charity then I wouldn't hesitate to have a discussion with them.
  One further thought though, if this job was advertised in the normal way, why did you apply for it knowing the starting salary was less than you could potentially afford to take?
• I used to do a lot of contracting work for charities. Obviously it varies from charity to charity, so I'm not trying to paint them all with the same brush however in the majority that I've worked for the 'top' people in those charities pay themselves far more than the going rate for people with their skill set/experience. So don't feel bad about trying to get more money.
• Yes, worth a go, they are still an employer... charity or not
• Yes it is unreasonable to haggle with a charity, no you shouldn't try to boost your salary.
  You have a job that pays well, is a comfortable commute and has straightforward working hours. Why on earth are you looking to change jobs ? Unless your present company is folding, laying off 85% of staff or likely to kick you out - why not just stay put?
  Taking a cut plus considerable inconvenience makes no financial sense. How would you explain this to a future employer?
  They would think - however good the job I offer, she could just up sticks and do something random. Too risky!
  Better charity to let someone else take the role, someone for whom it will be a positive career move (hopefully).
• The fact that you want to work for the charity and they want you to work for them is a promising starting point to negotiations. I would suggest telling them that you are really keen to accept their offer of the job and explain that you cannot afford a reduction in your salary. If they offer you either an increase in the starting salary or a written promise of a substantial increase after, say, six months it may make the salary more acceptable. If they say they cannot offer you a higher salary you are the only person who can decide whether you can live on what they have offered. Another consideration would be promotion prospects. A lower starting salary might be acceptable if you have good prospects there.
  I agree with others that you should not accept a lower salary just because you would be working for a charity. It is run as a business and you need to earn enough to live on.
• In this case 'charity really does begin at home'.
  Although, Gordon the Moron does have a valid point. Anyone can take a 5k drop on 100k but certainly not on 20k.
  Not enough info you see, my lovely. Percentages and statistics is all....
• You need to work out what you can afford to live on and if the charity is offering less than this you cannot afford to take the post. Try to negotiate a deal which accommodates both sides' needs. There is nothing immoral whatsoever about doing this and they would probably expect such a 'conversation' anyway as charities are very savvy about money and know about and exploit their tax exempt status on the basis of financial knowledge and clout. Also, you might take into consideration that many charities now are paying six figure sums to their directors (something which they do not advertise to those who donate!) and it might well be considered that you will be more valuable to the charity than those who turn up, make a few decisions and collect their salary and expenses.
• Hi I worked for a charity for over 10 years. I took a pay cut and relocated to do it. For me it was a mistake. I took the job because I cared about the charity and because of that I worked longer hours than employed for (for no pay), found most of my social life taken over by the charity (through no fault of the charity - but simply the fact you are working for a charity makes it hard to say NO). Also I was under the misguided illusion that because it was a charity that everyone would be 'in it together' when in fact some were 'in it' for the kudos but actually didn't really care. They seemed to be the higher positioned staff who left the hands on 24 hr staffing cover to the rest of us (but they were happy to attend the Balls). Now I know I sound a little bitter - but the truth is if you can afford to do it - go for it - but I would suggest you have a 2 year plan and can get out before getting 'sucked in' My first 2 years were great but after that me and the people I worked with started getting 'burnt out'/exhausted. With hindsight it was at that point I should have moved on. It's only one persons perspective but I hope it helps. Good luck.