The average fundraising salary in Canada increased by 5.9% in 2022, according to the AFP Foundation for Philanthropy’s 2023 Compensation and Benefits Report. While this growth is significant, it is still not enough to keep up with a year-end inflation rate of 6.3%.
The 2023 study reported the average salary of Canadian survey participants increased by 5.9%, from $94,225 in 2021 to $99,814 in 2022. The median fared slightly better, increasing by 7.3%, from $82,000 in 2021 to $88,000. Despite these increases, due to the high inflation rates, many Canadian fundraisers saw little change in their actual purchasing power.
These economic pressures appear to have had an impact on many respondents’ job search, with 54% of participants saying they actively sought to change their employment, either by looking for a job with another employer, or planning to become self-employed, sometime in the past year. In 2023 however, 78% of both Canadian and U.S. fundraisers indicated planning to stay in their current positions.
Despite similar average salary growth, and higher median salary growth, Canadians reported slightly less optimism for 2023 than their American counterparts, with 73% of Canadians, compared to 77% of U.S. respondents, predicting continued salary growth in the coming year.
Increased focus on inclusion, diversity, equity, and access
40% of Canadian-based organizations reported having one-quarter or more of their board members from minority or underrepresented groups, up from 35% the previous year. The study also noted that organizations who served under-represented groups as part of their mission, had better representation of these groups on their boards and staff.
When it came to salary, Canadians who were considered a “visible minority,” earned on average, 10% less than white-only participants. Similarly, women earned on average, 11% less than men.
The study also reported on benefits such as health (offered by 96%) and retirement plans (offered by 81%), as well as additional benefits such as the ability to work from home. Here Canadians had significantly more flexibility than their American counterparts with 92% reporting the ability to work from home at least part-time, compared to 68% of U.S. respondents. Similarly, 56% of Canadians could arrange flexible work schedules, compared to 46% of Americans.
The AFP Foundation for Philanthropy provides this research to AFP members who can download the full 2023 Compensation and Benefits Report here.
The AFP Foundation for Philanthropy champions philanthropy and volunteerism by strengthening the nonprofit sector’s current and future leaders, welcoming diverse new voices into the charitable world, and rigorously upholding the highest standards of ethics. The foundation currently focuses on developing fundraising leadership programs, supporting research on critical issues in the profession, building a stronger sector through a more diverse workforce, and renewing public trust in charitable organizations. www.afpglobal.org/USFoundation.
