Beyond the Numbers: Practical Insights from the 2025 Nonprofit Compensation Practices and Benchmarking Report

Each year, the Nonprofit Compensation and Benchmarking Report provides valuable salary data, helping nonprofits understand how they compare to their peers. However, attracting and retaining talent requires more than just knowing the numbers—it necessitates strategy, planning, and a deeper examination of what makes an organization an employer of choice.

The latest compensation survey revealed a significant challenge: nearly half of nonprofits struggle to fill roles, with most taking over 60 days to hire. Even more concerning, 53% lack confidence that they are reaching the right candidates. This highlights a broader issue—not just finding talent, but also ensuring your organization is well-positioned to attract and retain the right people.

Rethinking Your Approach to Hiring

Recruitment is often treated as a reactive process—positions open, and organizations scramble to fill them. But an intentional talent strategy can make all the difference. Proactively identifying future hiring needs, nurturing relationships with potential candidates, and ensuring your mission is at the center of your outreach will help reduce hiring gaps and build a stronger team.

When crafting job posts and conducting interviews, nonprofits are best served by highlighting what makes them unique. Candidates today are drawn to purpose-driven work, but they also want to see how they’ll grow within an organization. Making your mission clear, sharing real impact stories, and equipping employees to be brand ambassadors can make recruitment more effective and authentic.

Retention: Keeping the Talent You Have

While hiring is critical, keeping the talent you already have is just as important—if not more so. Employees don’t just leave for higher salaries; they leave when they don’t see opportunities for growth or feel undervalued. Organizations that regularly assess employee strengths, career goals, and development opportunities create a culture where people want to stay.

One simple but powerful shift is to think of employees the way you think of donors or clients. How can you ensure they have a great experience? How can you make them feel invested in your mission? Open communication, clear career paths, and internal mobility opportunities can turn a potential resignation into a long-term commitment.

Employer Branding: Telling Your Story Before You Need to Hire

One of the most overlooked aspects of recruitment is employer branding—the perception people have of your organization before they ever apply for a job. If a candidate first hears about your nonprofit through a job posting, you’re already at a disadvantage.

Organizations that regularly share their mission, successes, and workplace culture through newsletters, social media, and networking create familiarity and trust with potential hires. Even when you’re not actively recruiting, keeping your community engaged ensures that when a position does open, people are already interested in what you do.

More Than Just a Benchmark

Understanding how your compensation stacks up is valuable, but it’s only one piece of the puzzle. The real impact comes from what you do with that information—strengthening your team, refining your recruitment and retention strategies, and amplifying your brand to attract mission-aligned talent.

By taking a proactive approach to hiring, investing in employee development, and consistently sharing your organization’s story, you can position your nonprofit as an employer of choice—one that not only competes for talent but also builds a thriving, mission-driven team.

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