[mou] conservation salaries

[David Hartwell]

I=20have=20to=20weigh=20in=20on=20this.=20=20I=20serve=20on=20two=20nation=
al=20conservation=20boards
and=20have=20been=20involved=20in=20a=20search=20for=20leadership=20of=20o=
ne=20of=20those
organizations.=20=20

When=20hiring=20people=20in=20leadership=20(or=20other)=20positions,=20the=
=20last=20thing=20a
board=20member=20wants=20to=20do=20is=20not=20offer=20competitive=20compen=
sation.=20=20You
want=20to=20hire=20the=20best=20person=20for=20the=20job=20as=20so=20much=20=
of=20the=20success=20of
the=20organization=20rides=20on=20their=20being=20a=20really=20good=20choi=
ce.=20=20In=20many
cases,=20conservation=20organizations=20are=20competing=20not=20just=20for=
=20the=20best
and=20brightest=20leader=20from=20the=20non=20profit=20sector=20but=20for=20=
the=20best=20and
brightest=20leader=20anywhere.=20=20You=20can=20argue=20that=20compensatio=
n=20is=20too=20high
in=20many=20places=20but=20we=20cannot=20change=20that.=20=20If=20we=20wan=
t=20effective=20leaders,
we=20have=20to=20pay=20competitive=20wages.=20=20If=20we=20do=20not,=20we=20=
will=20get=20ineffective
leadership=20or=20leaders=20who=20will=20be=20offered=20better=20positions=
=20by=20other
organizations=20and=20we=20will=20see=20a=20constant=20changing=20of=20lea=
dership=20which=20is
very=20disruptive.=20=20

Another=20thing=20that=20you=20have=20to=20consider=20is=20where=20the=20o=
ffices=20of=20these
organizations=20are.=20=20They=20are=20virtually=20never=20in=20locations=20=
with=20lower
salaries.=20=20They=20are=20where=20the=20action=20is=20and=20those=20happ=
en=20to=20be=20the
places=20where=20housing=20costs=20are=20high=20and=20generally=20are=20no=
t=20the=20most
desirable=20places=20to=20be=20in.=20=20Those=20things=20have=20an=20impac=
t=20on=20what=20you=20have
to=20pay=20someone=20as=20well.=20=20And=20if=20you=20think=20moving=20fro=
m=20those=20higher
priced=20locations=20will=20save=20funds,=20think=20of=20the=20cost=20of=20=
moving=20an=20entire
staff=20or=20worse=20yet,=20replacing=20them=20all=20as=20they=20do=20not=20=
want=20to=20leave
their=20homes,=20communities,=20friends=20and=20way=20of=20life=20for=20an=
=20place=20that=20is
chosen=20for=20cost=20reduction=20alone.

As=20far=20as=20I=20know,=20no=20national=20conservation=20organization=20=
pays=20its=20board
members.=20=20In=20fact=20the=20money=20tends=20to=20go=20the=20other=20wa=
y=20as=20you=20are
expected=20to=20be=20both=20a=20contributor=20and=20cover=20your=20own=20t=
ravel=20expense=20to
all=20these=20meetings.=20=20

In=20terms=20of=20the=20brochures,=20newsletters=20and=20magazines=20that=20=
come=20with
membership,=20some=20are=20done=20by=20non=20profits=20and=20some=20are=20=
not.=20=20But=20that=20is
not=20the=20point.=20=20The=20question=20is=20does=20the=20material=20furt=
her=20the=20mission=20of
the=20organization=20by=20providing=20important=20information=20and=20brin=
ging=20in=20more
money=20than=20the=20alternatives.=20=20I=20have=20yet=20to=20see=20any=20=
organization=20that
does=20not=20ask=20itself=20constantly=20if=20it=20is=20making=20the=20rig=
ht=20choices=20in
these=20areas=20and=20not=20thinking=20about=20who=20can=20provide=20these=
=20services=20to=20it
at=20the=20most=20cost=20effective=20price.=20=20No=20organization=20likes=
=20to=20spend=20money
on=20materials=20but=20it=20is=20essential=20to=20stay=20in=20touch=20with=
=20its=20support=20base.
There=20are=20no=20easy=20or=20clear=20answer=20as=20to=20what=20is=20the=20=
perfect=20type=20of
material=20on=20the=20exactly=20correct=20frequency=20or=20everyone=20woul=
d=20be=20doing
exactly=20the=20same=20thing=20and=20we=20all=20know=20this=20is=20not=20t=
he=20case.

If=20you=20want=20to=20know=20if=20your=20contributed=20dollars=20are=20ef=
fective,=20then=20take
a=20look=20at=20the=20annual=20report=20or=20get=20a=20copy=20of=20their=20=
990=20federal=20tax
return=20and=20compare=20one=20to=20the=20other.=20=20You=20can=20find=20t=
hem=20on=20line=20at
www.guidestar.org.=20=20Ask=20the=20organization=20the=20tough=20questions=
=20-=20they
expect=20it=20and=20are=20not=20embarrassed=20to=20answer.=20=20If=20they=20=
are,=20they=20it=20is
the=20wrong=20organization.=20=20But=20don't=20just=20do=20this=20to=20nat=
ional
organizations=20but=20to=20local=20ones=20as=20well.=20=20All=20organizati=
ons=20should=20be
accountable=20for=20how=20well=20they=20are=20using=20the=20contributed=20=
resources=20they
get.=20=20


David=20Hartwell



-----Original=20Message-----
From:=20mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu=20[mailto:mou-net-admin@cbs.umn.edu]=20O=
n
Behalf=20Of=20Thurston
Sent:=20Friday,=20September=2001,=202006=206:27=20PM
To:=20Jim=20Williams;=20MOU=20net
Cc:=20WisBirdNet=20Network
Subject:=20Re:=20[mou]=20conservation=20salaries

I=20have=20read=20the=20e-mail=20from=20Jim=20Williams=20on=20the=20salari=
es=20of=20the=20CEOs=20of
certain=20conservation=20organizations.=20=20It=20was=20indeed=20enlighten=
ing!=20I
wonder:
=20=201.=20=20What=20salary=20and=20expenses,=20if=20any,=20are=20paid=20t=
o=20members=20of=20the
boards=20of
these=20organizations?
=20=202.=20=20Would=20the=20organizations=20argue=20that=20these=20amounts=
=20are=20what=20they
have=20to
pay=20to=20get=20a=20quality=20conservation=20CEO=20these=20days?=20=20In=20=
the=20conservation
movement,=20are=20there=20any=20people=20equally=20conpetent=20who=20would=
=20suffer=20a
lesser
salary?
=20=203.=20=20Some=20of=20them=20hire=20professional=20fund=20raisers=20an=
d=20membership
solicitors.
How=20much=20of=20the=20membership=20dues=20and=20fundraising=20go=20to=20=
the=20outside
fundraisers?
=20=204.=20=20Do=20outside=20for-profit=20organizations=20prepare=20the=20=
fancy=20material=20we
receive=20in=20the=20mail=20seeking=20contributions=20from=20us=20concerni=
ng=20various
environmental=20issues?=20=20What=20does=20that=20cost?
=20=205.=20=20How=20much=20of=20the=20"contributed"=20dollar=20actually=20=
goes=20to=20address=20the
stated=20purpose=20of=20the=20particular=20conservation=20organization?=20=
=20-----
Original
Message=20-----=20
From:=20"Jim=20Williams"=20<two-jays@att.net>
To:=20"MOU=20net"=20<mou-net@cbs.umn.edu>
Cc:=20"WisBirdNet=20Network"=20<wisbirdn@lawrence.edu>
Sent:=20Friday,=20September=2001,=202006=2010:59=20AM
Subject:=20[mou]=20conservation=20salaries


>
>=20How=20many=20basic=20memberships=20does=20it=20take=20to=20pay=20the=20=
salaries=20of=20the
>=20executives=20who=20lead=20our=20major=20conservation=20organizations?=20=
I=20had=20no
>=20idea,=20indeed,=20the=20thought=20never=20crossed=20my=20mind=20until=20=
I=20saw=20the=20Spring
>=2006=20issue=20of=20Pacific=20Seabirds,=20a=20conservation=20magazine.=20=
PS=20listed=20its
>=20most=20recent=20information=20on=20conservation-executive=20salaries.=20=
I=20post
this
>=20not=20as=20criticism,=20for=20all=20of=20these=20organizations=20make=20=
important
>=20contributions.=20But.....=20it=20certainly=20takes=20a=20lot=20of=20us=
=20to=20pay=20the
>=20people=20in=20the=20CEO's=20chair.=20I=20might=20just=20come=20out=20o=
f=20retirement=20if=20the
>=20NRDC=20job=20was=20to=20be=20offered=20to=20me.
>
>=20National=20Resources=20Defense=20Council,=20CEO=20received=20$704,796,=
=20equal=20to
>=2070,479=20memberships=20at=20its=20basic=20$10=20enrollment=20level.
>
>=20Wildlife=20Conservation=20Society,=20$495,422,=206,605=20memberships=20=
at=20basic
$75.
>
>=20National=20Wildlife=20Federation,=20$477,138,=2015,904=20memberships=20=
at=20basic
$30.
>
>=20The=20Nature=20Conservancy,=20$399,788,=2015,991=20memberships=20at=20=
basic=20$25.
>
>=20National=20Audubon=20Society,=20$362.237,=2018,112=20memberships=20at=20=
basic=20$20.
>
>=20Conservation=20International,=20$336,353,=209,610=20memberships=20at=20=
basic=20$35.
>
>=20World=20Wildlife=20Fund,=20$310,781,=2012,431=20memberships=20at=20bas=
ic=20$25.
>
>=20Jim=20Williams
>=20Wayzata,=20Minnesota
>
>=20_______________________________________________
>=20mou-net=20mailing=20list
>=20mou-net@cbs.umn.edu
>=20http://cbs.umn.edu/mailman/listinfo/mou-net
>


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