Real-life MMD: Should I try to boost my salary at a charity?

Former_MSE_Debs

Money Moral Dilemma: Should I try to boost my salary at a charity?

I've been offered a job at a charity I really care about, but it turns out the starting wage is £5,000 less than my current wage. It also involves odd working hours and a longer, more expensive commute. They really want me, I want to take the job, but I don't know if I can take the financial hit. Is it unreasonable to haggle on my starting wage, even though the employer is a charity?


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[Deleted User]

Could you afford to give the charity in question £5000 a year plus the extra commuting costs, while volunteering the extra "odd hours" for them too? If not, don't accept.

Tell them what would make you accept the job, and negotiate from there. They'll decide if having you on board is worth the outlay.

Gordon_the_Moron

What salary is the person currently on?

If they're currently on £20000 they'd be taking a 25% pay cut, if they are on £100000 they'd be taking a 5% pay cut and still earning more than 4.5 times more than the person on £20000.

Janie_Zebra

I was in a VERY similar position before Christmas, offered job, 4k less, fewer WEEKS holiday therefore would be paying out more for childcare through summer etc. All that on top of relocation meant I had to say no... they did offer 2k more but it still didn't balance to move everything. Sad about it but right decision at that time. I couldn't afford to just give money away.

scotsbob

Don't take it, let someone who is committed to the charity take it instead as they won't be motivated by money.

pwharley

Why not haggle on the Terms & Conditions e.g. would they allow you to work from home on some days, thus reducing the commuting cost?

oldtrout

scotsbob wrote: »

Don't take it, let someone who is committed to the charity take it instead as they won't be motivated by money.

I agree.

Keep your present job and do some voluntary work for the charity you care about.

elsien

scotsbob wrote: »

Don't take it, let someone who is committed to the charity take it instead as they won't be motivated by money.

I disagree. I work for a charity but I still need a certain amount of money to live on to get by. They may be a charity but they are also a business and if they want good staff they may have to pay comparable wages to non-charities. I don't see why you can't try to negotiate - if that's not a route they wish or are able to go down then you can decide if it's worth it or not for you and your personal circumstances.
I have to be honest I do get a bit fed up of the emotional blackmail that can come along with working for a charity. A good cause is not always enough, not with a mortgage and a family to support.

kazt2006

You say the starting wage is £5,000 less, but you don't say whether there is a salary range and whether there is room for negotiation. Are your prospective new employers aware of what you are currently being paid? Would you fill a significant skills gap in their team?

In principle there is nothing wrong with negotiating on the starting salary and if your concern over this is solely because they are a charity then I wouldn't hesitate to have a discussion with them.

One further thought though, if this job was advertised in the normal way, why did you apply for it knowing the starting salary was less than you could potentially afford to take?

juggsy

scotsbob wrote: »

Don't take it, let someone who is committed to the charity take it instead as they won't be motivated by money.

Disagree with this, they are a charity but you are not. As a generalisation charities are hardly the best paying jobs in the world and I think it's admirable you're looking to take this on, as well as prepared to endure a longer commute and more challenging hours. This shows money is not your sole motivation, but at the end of the day you still need to be able to live within your means. Combined with a lower salary there is a risk you could start resenting working for them, which wouldn't help them or you.

You also need to think about your motivations for moving, do the benefits of the new role outweigh the cons?

First step though as already suggested is to explain your situation, be polite and calm and state the facts, they can only say yes or now however this simple conversation may make all of this moot! If they begrudge you for asking a reasonable question then it may not be the best move for you anyway.

Jay1b

I used to do a lot of contracting work for charities. Obviously it varies from charity to charity, so I'm not trying to paint them all with the same brush however in the majority that I've worked for the 'top' people in those charities pay themselves far more than the going rate for people with their skill set/experience. So don't feel bad about trying to get more money.