Today, part one of the two-part King County Nonprofit Employment Surveys, the Wage & Benefits Survey, is now live!
The 2025 King County Nonprofit Wage & Benefits Survey is underway, and we are calling on nonprofits in the region—specifically an Executive Director, Human Resources staff, or a Finance Manager—who has access to staff compensation information to take part in the survey.
Part 1 of this survey is open starting today, February 3 through May 13, 2025.
King County Department of Community and Human Services is committed to supporting a robust and representative human services workforce that has the knowledge, experience, and skill to effectively serve our community.
The 2023 King County Nonprofit Employment Surveys showed how underinvestment in the nonprofit workforce impacts programs, services, and the overall sector. Following the 2023 surveys, DCHS took action to address funding practices through contracts, the DCHS Inflation Rate Adjustment Policy for Human Services Contracts, tailored workforce investments through the Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy and Crisis Care Centers Levy, and Best Starts for Kids investments in the child care workforce.
The compensation data and employee satisfaction data that the King County Nonprofit Employment Surveys produce contribute to a growing body of data around human services compensation practices and continues to improve the community’s understanding of pay disparities and employee experiences in the nonprofit sector.
The surveys are funded through the King County Veterans, Seniors, and Human Services Levy (VSHSL) and administered by our partners 501 Commons and Nonprofit Compensation Associates (NCA). The Putting People First initiative first launched in 2021, comprised of two surveys: A Wage & Benefits Survey and an Employee Engagement Survey. Each iteration of the surveys has created a report on employee satisfaction, an online salary database, and a report on employment practices, benefits, salaries below the living wage, and more. This is the third time the King County Nonprofit Employment Surveys are launching in King County.
In 2023, more than 235 nonprofit organizations that are based in and serving King County, responded to the King County Nonprofit Wage & Benefits Survey. 1,233 employees from 263 organizations participated in the 2023 King County Nonprofit Employee Engagement Survey. It is important that nonprofit organizations of all sizes and types participate in the survey for the resulting information to be as impactful and valuable as possible. For this reason, we are looking to increase participation in the Nonprofit Wage & Benefits Survey.
Organizations funded by the VSHSL, and any of their nonprofit subcontractors funded by the VSHSL, are required to complete the King County Nonprofit Wage & Benefits Survey. As your nonprofit completes the survey, we encourage you to invite non-VSHSL partners to participate as well.
If you need assistance completing the survey, contact Rita Haronian of NCA at (510) 645-1005 or survey@nonprofitcomp.com.
The Employee Engagement Survey will open later this month. The survey seeks to learn more about how nonprofit employees feel about their pay and benefits, the work they do, their supervisors, and other factors that encourage them to remain in their jobs and the nonprofit sector. The survey is open to all nonprofit employees.
Learn more about the King County Nonprofit Employment Surveys
- Virtual information session on Thursday, March 13th, 2025, from 1:00-2:00pm. For more information and to register.
- Frequently Asked Questions: https://www.501commons.org/services/human-resources-services/nonprofit-employment-survey/faq
- Sign up for email updates from 501 Commons at: King County Nonprofit Employment Surveys — 501 Commons
- Subscribe to Cultivating Connections at https://dchsblog.com/
- Subscribe to the VSHSL newsletter. To subscribe visit: kingcounty.gov/vshsl