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The Chronicle of Philanthropy conducted a survey of 325 large charities and the result was a substantial number making salaries placing them in the top 1% earners. For a peek at the list check out the NPR article through this link. 

I am in agreement with many in Congress that these salaries are not in line with the intent of the creation of the 501 C 3 tax code for charitable organizations.  The top executive in the United States is the President.  This Chief Executive makes no where near these salaries and oversees the largest economy in the world.  A nonprofit’s mission should be first and foremost where dollars are spent.  The compensation of executives at these organizations is clearly out of line with the organizations mission. It says to the community that the organizations have so much money that they can afford to pay large corporate salaries for an outcome that is charitable.  The executive receiving the compensation certainly is not being charitable to the organization by accepting a salary placing them in the top 1% income bracket.

Any nonprofit who says that they must pay the high salary exceeding that of the the Office of the President of the United States to recruit the most qualified person has placed more importance on a person then on the mission of the organization. Placing importance on a single person instead of the institution risks the mission of the organization.

I support Congress passing legislation to limit compensation on executives.   However, lets make it simple.  No salary for a nonprofit can exceed the salary of the President of the United States. If a nonprofit is to exceed said salary they must convert to a for-profit.   Plain and simple.

I believe Socrates would have questioned the merit of the decision by which such a decision had been made by a Board of any nonprofits wishing to pay these extremely high salaries.

For me these organizations represent the beginning of a list of nonprofits for donors not to donate to.