Confidential Midwest Texas
Nonprofit Job Satisfaction Survey
Conducted by the Nonprofit Management Center
Abilene, Texas

Based on 67 responses unless otherwise specified

1. Are you employed by a nonprofit?
Yes 95.5%
No 4.5%

2. Do you work full time or part time?
Full time 95.5%
Part time 4.5%

3. How many hours per week do you typically work?
(65 responses)
Fewer than 20 hours 0 %
Between 20 and 40 hours 9.3%
40 hours 18.4%
Between 40 and 60 hours 64.7%
Between 60 and 80 hours 7.6%

4. In what area of service do you work?
Health 13.4%
Arts 7.4%
Social Service 26.9%
Education 14.9%
Religion 1.5%
Other* 35.9%
*Chamber of commerce; development director; teacher; public broadcasting; quality management; childcare; United Way; library; economic development; vice president; youth organization; Girl Scouts; nonprofit development; public affairs/society benefit; mental health; professional services; workforce development; civic development; government.

5. What level of responsibility do you hold?
Executive Director/President 43.3%
Management/Supervisor 34.3%
Support 9.0%
Program 9.0%
Other 4.4%

6. How satisfied are you with your job?
Very Satisfied 64.3%
Somewhat Satisfied 25.4%
Neutral 2.9%
Somewhat dissatisfied 7.4%
Very dissatisfied 0 %

7. How stressful is your job?
Very stressful 17.9%
Somewhat stressful 67.4%
Neutral 5.9%
Not very stressful 7.4%
Not stressful at all 1.4%

8. With regard to questions asked about your satisfaction level, please indicate the reason(s) you are dissatisfied with your job (if applicable).

• I would like to receive health insurance.
• I wish I worked more directly with clients sometimes.
• The only applicable area is compensation. This is because we are currently under the standard for the nonprofit industry.
• I have a unique perspective on the job - having retired twice before. The opportunity is mutually rewarding to the employer and myself.
• My coworkers and the politics within the organization are the reasons for my dissatisfaction.
• I love the work that I do. My only dissatisfaction comes from not having any assistance.
• I am the only employee of an organization that has multiple projects, fund raisers, and do all of its financial reporting in-house. It is quite stressful.
• Demands vary depending upon current Board of Directors or volunteers - sometimes unrealistic, sometimes a lack of understanding and commitment from volunteers that make my job more difficult than it should be.
• 1% pay SS is below industry average by 20%.
• My job spans too great an area and there are other employees here that don't recognize that fact. Some people here don't offer to help out with small tasks that are necessary, and always leave at 5:00 p.m. when the rest of us stay until 5:30 or 6 p.m. most days.
• The job requires long work hours, in addition to my needing more staff, and feeling like I cannot take off much time. There is too much work to be accomplished in a reasonable time frame, so I always feel like I am catching up. There is a perception by outsiders that the staff is not as productive, motivated, innovative, or qualified because they work for a nonprofit or public entity.

9. How satisfied are you with the flexibility of your hours?
Very satisfied 74.7%
Somewhat satisfied 20.9%
Neutral 1.5%
Somewhat dissatisfied 2.9%
Very dissatisfied 0%

10. How much vacation do you receive a year?
Six weeks 1.5%
Four and a half weeks 1.5%
Four weeks 13.4%
Three weeks 20.9%
Three and a half weeks 1.5%
Two weeks 50.8%
Two and a half weeks 2.9%
One week 1.5%
Not Applicable 4.5%
None 1.5%

11. How satisfied are you with the amount of vacation you receive?
Very satisfied 55.4%
Somewhat satisfied 20.8%
Neutral 12%
Somewhat dissatisfied 4.4%
Very dissatisfied 1.5%
Not Applicable 5.9%

12. Are you able to take all your vacation?
Yes 49.4%
No 43.3%
Sometimes 1.4%
Not Applicable 5.9%

13. How satisfied are you with your job security?
(based on 66 responses)
Very satisfied 57.5%
Somewhat satisfied 28.9%
Neutral 7.6%
Somewhat dissatisfied 4.5%
Very dissatisfied 1.5%

14. How satisfied are you with the amount of work required to perform your job?
Very satisfied 34.4%
Somewhat satisfied 37.3%
Neutral 10.4%
Somewhat dissatisfied 17.9%
Very dissatisfied 0%

15. What benefits do you receive?
Vacation 92.5% 24 days 1.6%
20 days 9.6% 15 days 25.8%
14 days 14.5% 13 days 1.6%
12 days 4.8% 11 days 1.7%
10 days 40.4% Holidays 91.0%
30 days 1.6% 16 days 3.4%
15 days 1.6% 14 days 1.6%
13 days 3.4% 12 days 3.4%
11 days 8.1% 10 days 14.7%
9 days 6.5% 8 days 39.4%
7 days 6.5% 6 days 4.9%
5 days 4.9% Health insurance 64.1%
Vision insurance 25.3% Dental insurance 34.3%
Retirement 62.6% Education reimb. 19.4%
Cafeteria plan 23.8% Child-care 5.9%
Other* 13.4% None 1.4%
*Benefit allotment; percent of salary; staff development; prepaid legal and life insurance; underground parking; disability insurance; meal discount; auto provided.

16. How satisfied are you with the benefits you receive?
Very satisfied 50.8%
Somewhat satisfied 32.8%
Neutral 11.9%
Somewhat dissatisfied 4.5%
Very dissatisfied 0%

17. How satisfied are you with the amount of compensation you receive?
(63 responses)
Very satisfied 38.0%
Somewhat satisfied 41.4%
Neutral 6.5%
Somewhat dissatisfied 12.6%
Very dissatisfied 1.5%

18. Why do you work for a nonprofit?
I believe in the mission 77.8%
The money was good 2.9%
Job was available when I was looking 10.4%
Only job I could get 0%
Other* 8.9%

• I enjoy the actual work involved in performing my duties; I enjoy fundraising; I wanted to move into development work; there is not as much pressure as in business sector; I love the work I do.

19. Do you believe you could make more money in the for-profit sector than you are currently making?
Yes 76.2%
No 7.4%
Don't know 16.4%

20. On a scale from 1 to 5, with 1 being the least commitment, how committed are you to working for a nonprofit organization?
(based on 65 responses)
1 - 6.4%
2 - 7.6%
3 - 9.2%
4 - 33.8%
5 - 43.0%

21. Do you think the public believes nonprofit employees are less qualified than for-profit employees?
Definitely 10.5%
Somewhat 43.3%
Don't know 20.8%
Probably not 14.9%
Absolutely not 10.5%

22. Do you believe nonprofit employees are less qualified than for-profit employees?
(based on 66 responses)
Definitely 0%
Somewhat 1.5%
Don't know 6.0%
Probably not 16.6%
Absolutely not 74.4%
Other* 1.5%
*Some organizations are more than others.

23. Please include your comments - anything you want us to know about your job satisfaction in the nonprofit sector.

• It has been a rewarding experience.
• I find the people easier to work with than in the for-profit world.
  I love my job! I never know what I'll be doing during the day and would be reluctant to change jobs for fear of being bored.
• The people I work with are great - there is a real team effort when there is something that needs to get done. Everyone is very supportive of each other.
• Employees, nonprofit or for-profit, can hold a high sense of mission, values and quality service; it's up to the employer and the employee.
• I have held other jobs with nonprofits I enjoyed very much and for which I was well paid. Much of one's job satisfaction comes from the people you work with and for.
• Because I believe so strongly in the mission I am willing to face the frustrations and difficulties. I've worked in “for profit” and know I couldn't get the same satisfaction.
• Overall, it's worth it!
• In January 2001, I began working for a for-profit hospital. I have all of the challenges, responsibilities, and problems dealing with volunteers as I have had over the years in a nonprofit setting. Except for my income increasing, there is no difference in the job!
• I believe that nonprofit boards expect the highest level of performance from nonprofit employees, while, in most cases, paying subsistence wages. Yes, we believe in our mission and that's why we work so hard. Most of us live our mission, but do our board members show that they believe in us when it comes to compensation?
• It’s hard work! We are consistently expected to provide more and better services to more people in a higher risk population with the same amount or fewer dollars. We wear multiple hats, which requires a diversity of skills, tremendous flexibility, and a superior ability to juggle priorities.
• I doubt that I am a representative of most nonprofit employees. I live in a small town, wages here are not high but my family does not depend on my income. Respect for my position is high and the duties of the economic development director are commensurate with the interests of the individual and the community needs at the same time. Thank you for asking.
• I am able to perform duties in the nonprofit sector that I enjoyed in the private sector for 15 years. The benefits of working in the nonprofit sector are that my work schedule is structured so that I have more balance in regard to my family's needs, I work with people who, although they are not money-motivated, genuinely care about the end result of their collective efforts, and new ideas for accomplishing a goal are always encouraged and in fact, are sometimes required.
• My work is honorable, worthy of my time and personally rewarding. The world, through my work for my organization, will be a better place for what I do. My life is better because of what I do; in a very real sense, it is my ministry. I'm confident of my skills, I accepted a position that did not pay well, but offered me the opportunity to begin catching up on the new technology as well as learning and mastering new skills. I have since moved to another nonprofit that pays much better, but I will never make a large salary. I am very happy in my job and truly enjoy my co-workers. We all share a common philosophy regarding humanity and philanthropy.
• I have two observations. A for-profit worker gets pride from perks like staying at the Waldorf Astoria, company-paid happy hours, huge Christmas parties, etc. but they hate the hours and they complain a lot more about the stress and workload than nonprofit employees. I would rather work eight to five every day, not seven to seven, and enjoy my job but make less money. Also, I think the percentage of nonprofit workers who are left-handed is a higher number, comparatively, than the percentage of lefties in the general public. Do a survey on that - how more lefties are in their right minds for working in the nonprofit sector!
• I believe there is a perception that individuals who work for public or nonprofit entities do it because it is a calling or mission; therefore they are "working out of love." This seems to translate into a belief that they don't need or want to be compensated as well. There’s a delicate balance in the nonprofit or public sector for staff and boards - funds are supplied to serve specific needs and everyone wants to see as much as possible spent on those needs. On the other hand, the organization needs to compensate staff adequately, have sufficient funds for travel, functional equipment, technology, etc. to function efficiently and effectively. Operational costs are seen as taking away from providing services, rather than as a cost of doing business like the private sector.

NOTE: The Midwest Texas Nonprofit Job Satisfaction Survey is not presented as, nor intended to be, a scientific survey. The Survey, conducted in Winter 2001, is comprised of straightforward responses by nonprofit employees regarding their personal satisfaction level in the nonprofit sector. Opinions are solely those of the respondents.