How Much Should A Domestic Violence Non-Profit Executive Make?

Earlier this month, Florida Governor Rick Scott criticized the President of the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence for her astronomical salary of $316,104 with an additional $36,158 in benefits. (1) The Coalition reported that her compensation is partly paid for with private donations and grants, and that her salary is set by the Coalition’s Board based on a study of comparable non-profits. If this is the case, I wonder where these ‘comparable non-profits’ are, because the most recent tax forms for the Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence indicated that their Director made $78,176. The former Executive Director of the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence made $82,360, and the highest paid individual at the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence made $67,593. (2)To review a charity’s IRS “Form 990” report for salary information visit www.guidestar.org

So how much should a domestic violence non-profit executive make? Other types of non-profit organizations have been investigated because of their inflated salary structures. In 2010, New Jersey began limiting the amount a non-profit group can pay their executives if they are providing social services under state contracts. New Hampshire launched an investigation into the compensation of non-profit hospital executives, and in that same year, four senators refused to approve a $425 million dollar package of federal grants for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America after they learned that the chief executive made nearly $1 million dollars in 2008. But to this date, there has been no investigation into the salaries and compensation of domestic violence organizations. The domestic violence reform movement has been very vocal regarding this issue. Many victims are turned away from the ‘go-to’ organizations due to their reported lack of funding, while their board members continue to collect inflated salaries.

For example, over a three year time span, the President of the National Network to End Domestic Violence personally profited close to $1 million dollars, but closed Amy’s Courage Fund for victims citing a struggling economy and lack of funds. In 2009, Amy’s Courage Fund helped 139 victims with a total of $264,856. That same year, the NNEDV President made over $270,000 (plus benefits) – her salary totaling more than the entire amount in Amy’s Courage Fund for victims. (3) The NNEDV indicated that they were 93.9% supported by the public in 2010, but even according to the Better Business Bureau, they do not meet the BBB’s wise giving standards. (4) The Better Business Bureau’s standards for charity accountability are designed to foster public confidence in charitable organizations, and enable donors to make wise giving decisions. The NNEDV fails to meet 4 of these standards, which include failure to disclose total expenses in their budget.

There are other domestic violence and crime victim organizations that spend a large portion of their budget on salaries and benefits. The National Center for Victims of Crime indicated on their 2010 taxes that they are 99.2% supported by the public (62% of this is federally funded) They received $2,803,936 in grants and spent $2,041,252 on salaries, compensation and benefits. (5) They are the parent organization for the National Stalking Resource Center, and found it necessary to close the Crime Victim Helpline due to lack of funding, which should be a lifeline for victims. (6) When a stalking victim reaches the point where they need to call a hotline, they need more than reading material and tip sheets – especially those that are up against a psychologically aggressive perpetrator, so it is unfortunate that this important resource has been shut down.

You can read the rest of this article at http://www.dvjp.org/2012/05/how-much-should-domestic-violence-non.html

Domestic Violence Industry corruption

Tags: Amy's Courage Fund for victims, domestic violence, domestic violence justice project, Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Governor Rick Scott, Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, National Center for Victims of Crime, National Network to End Domestic Violence, NNEDV, vawa mafia