New King County survey shows chronic underinvestment in the nonprofit workforce is a driver for turnover 

Today, King County Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) released the results of the 2023 King County Nonprofit Wage & Benefits Survey Report and the King County Nonprofit Employee Engagement Survey Report. The reports show how underinvestment in the nonprofit workforce impacts programs, services, and the overall sector. The surveys found that 71 percent of nonprofit workers are considering leaving their position because of pay.  

“The Wage & Benefits Survey Report, and others like the Wage Equity Study from the University of Washington show us through data that nonprofit providers, including the human services workforce are paid less to do some of the most vital work in our region,” said Leon Richardson, Adult Services Division Director at DCHS. “The persistent undervaluing of the nonprofit workforce over decades is forcing workers to leave the field, limiting expertise due to turnover, and threatening the effectiveness of programs and services. By rethinking how we invest in people and increasing wages, providers can pay their workers enough to recruit and retain them. Supporting workers for the long term is a central part of the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy.”  

The survey, developed by 501 Commons a King County-based nonprofit providing consulting, professional services, and resources to nonprofits, is a key strategy of the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) and informs workforce strategies across the levy, and actions in DCHS.  

Results from the King County Nonprofit Wage & Benefits Survey and the King County Nonprofit Employee Engagement Survey, contribute to a growing body of data around human services compensation practices. Data from the survey reports and an accompanying online compensation tracker will inform analyses, program implementation, and policy decisions for sustaining the nonprofit sector. Nonprofit employees or people seeking a career in the sector can look up jobs and their pay levels in the compensation tracker. 

In the 2023 survey, 235 nonprofit organizations located in or serving people in King County, representing more than 20,000 employees, participated in the wage and benefits survey. More than 14,000 individual salaries were categorized into 175 job titles for the report. The Employee Engagement Survey included responses from 1,233 workers from 263 organizations. 

“The King County Nonprofit Wage & Benefits Survey shows how grossly underpaid human services providers are. Understanding current compensation practices clearly, as the survey helps illuminate, is essential to creating the needed changes in pay structures. When combined with the recommended increases from the University of Washington School of Social Work’s report on Wage Equity for Human Services Workers, the survey gives a clear picture of what human services providers need to be paid to attract and retain the talent needed to solve the expensive and detrimental social problems that decades of inequity have created in our communities. Seattle Human Services Coalition is grateful for the good work of 501 Commons and King County DCHS in collecting this data so that nonprofit leaders and funders can respond appropriately to support equity and stability in our sector,” said Tree Willard, Executive Director of the Seattle Human Services Coalition. 

Annual survey results show persistent inequities in nonprofit salaries and impacts on operations and long-term sustainability of the nonprofit sector. The report identifies the factors that are linked to high employee engagement, attracting and retaining staff, and producing effective client services. Data highlights: 

• 71% of participants say they might leave their position for higher pay, up from 60% in 2021, even though they are overall very satisfied with their employer and feel they are making a positive impact. 
• 35% might leave their position for better benefits, up from 16% in 2021. 
• They are proud of their organization, with 94% agreeing with the statement, “My organization/program delivers high-quality services.” 
• Employees are also concerned that they are not being paid fairly within their organization and want more transparency about their organization’s compensation philosophy and policies. 

DCHS is addressing funding practices through contracts, department policy on inflation, and wage boosts. The inaugural 2021 King County Nonprofit Wage & Benefits Survey informed several actions taken by King County, including: 

• Developing a departmental inflation policy to incorporate inflation into revenue planning and prioritize when spending unanticipated revenues. 
• Incorporating inflation and workforce investments into both the VSHSL and Crisis Care Centers initiative. The proposed Implementation Plan for the VSHSL would invest $58 million over six years to help stabilize the human services workforce. This investment aims to improve staff recruitment and retention for nonprofit organizations providing human services in King County. 
• Implementing strategies to fully fund the total cost of Health Through Housing sites and Medicaid behavioral health services.  
• Distributing retention and hiring grants funded through the VSHSL to deliver emergency support to nonprofit partners by funding 675 bonuses to 55 agencies with an emphasis on employee retention and hiring.  

501 Commons Executive Director Nancy Long encourages government, philanthropic, and nonprofit leaders, nonprofit employees, and board members to read the survey reports. “We are pleased to contribute these reports to the community conversation about nonprofit pay. Retaining our skilled and highly educated nonprofit workforce is critical, and much about how we fund nonprofits needs to change for us to succeed in that effort,” said Long.