Top executives at 17 charities in the environmental and conservation sectors receive salaries comparable to or exceeding those of the country’s provincial premiers, according to a detailed analysis of compensation for Canadian charity leaders.
The research, conducted by The Canadian Press, examined filings with the Canada Revenue Agency for the years 2022 and 2023, identifying a small cohort of charity leaders whose annual compensation fell within the $200,000 to $250,000 range. The wages are notably aligned with the contemporary earnings of Canada’s highest-paid provincial premiers: Ontario’s Doug Ford at $208,974 and Quebec’s Francois Legault at $208,200.
The scrutiny comes amid an increasing focus on the remuneration packages of non-profit executives, especially as these organizations benefit from public funds and private donations.
Ducks Unlimited Canada, a Manitoba-based organization, was noted for having the highest-paid executives within the conservation sector. The 2023 declaration indicated that multiple individuals received salaries exceeding $250,000, with two earning over $350,000.
This level of compensation is justified, said a spokesperson for the organization, due to the nature of its extensive conservation work and the need for experienced staff to lead its initiatives.
“Ducks Unlimited Canada is Canada’s largest nature conservancy… It is difficult to compare environmental non-profits due to wide variation in mission, scale, and complexity of operations,” spokesperson Janine Massey told The Canadian Press.
“We regularly undertake competitive compensation reviews and adjust our compensation accordingly to ensure that we can attract and retain highly skilled personnel.”
While these figures may raise eyebrows, they represent a fraction of the charities in the field, with the majority relying on a largely volunteer workforce or modestly paid staff.
The report indicates that approximately 59 percent of the 864 registered charities in the environment and animal protection sectors solely rely on volunteers, and a significant number do not have any employees earning above the $40,000 and $80,000 thresholds.
Experts in compensation management, such as Montreal business school HEC Professor Sylvie St-Onge, note that as these organizations grow and take on larger, more complex projects, the need for experienced leadership becomes paramount, necessitating salaries that are competitive with the private sector and comparable industries.
“When they compare themselves, they’re going to compare themselves to others in the industry who are like a core group of well-offs,” Ms. St-Onge told The Canadian Press.
In response to the scrutiny, some organizations, including the Vancouver-based David Suzuki Foundation, have emphasized their commitment to fair compensation, especially given the high cost of living in cities where they operate, such as Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal. They argue that rigorous salary reviews and benchmarks against industry standards are part of maintaining a capable and dedicated workforce, essential for fulfilling their ambitious environmental and conservation goals.
