Raleigh, NC: What comes to mind when you think of a compensation study? Salary data? Pay review? Proof you can secure that raise you’ve wanted for years? Or maybe you’re wondering, “wait, 1000 Feathers does compensation studies?”

The answer to that last question is – only with a great partner like StopGap Solutions. And we also realized really quickly that what the North Carolina Partnership for Children (NCPC)—our client and partner in this work—needed was much more than a traditional compensation study.

The original call was to partner with the Smart Start Network – 75 Local Partnerships, each independent nonprofits that serve all 100 counties in North Carolina – and NCPC Leadership and the goal was clear: provide comprehensive information, actionable tools, and best practices for salary and compensation so the Network can attract and keep a strong workforce. This was not a project for the faint of heart. In fact, one consultant has already told NCPC this was, “mission impossible.” But 1000 Feathers is always up for a good challenge and our longstanding partnership with NCPC and the Smart Start Network provided us a nice runway to get started.

What unfolded was more than a compensation study. It became a deeper look at how the Network values people, serves communities throughout North Carolina, and prepares for a generational shift in its workforce. In other words, how issues of core values, high-quality service delivery, and organizational sustainability show up in paychecks, benefits, and beyond.

Reimagining the Purpose of a Compensation Study

With a clear goal from the client of recruiting and retaining a strong workforce, what we needed to do was deliver not just comprehensive compensation data, but also actionable leadership tools and best practices around salary and benefits that Local Partnerships could immediately put to use. The aim wasn’t compliance or optics—it was building the kind of workforce that can power early childhood systems forward. As a result, the final products weren’t endless pages of unreadable charts and graphs, they were tangible conclusions, recommendations, and action steps that the Local Partnerships could actually use.

 “We so appreciate that 1000 Feathers has taken the time to get to know our (people) and not just (produce) a canned, generic approach and report.” - NCPC Staff

We approached the work in a values aligned way (look for 1000 Feathers and StopGap Solutions do be doing more work together soon!) and leaned on our shared knack for spotting opportunities to transform and elevate organizations. Instead of producing a traditional doorstop report (a transaction), we focused on equipping the Network with tools and insights that would help them recruit and retain top talent—advancing the well-being of children across North Carolina (transformation).

From the start, we knew we had to go both wide and deep. The study needed to:

• Build fair and aligned compensation structures across all 75 Local Partnerships.

• Map current organizational structures—positions, functions, salaries, benefits—within and across each of Local Partnerships.

• Help the entire Network stay competitive in attracting and keeping top talent.

• Examine Network’s overall fiscal health, including funding structures.

Four Big Truths We Uncovered

Through conversations with leaders, compensation and benefits data collection, and a landscape scan, four themes emerged—reflections of the current reality and roadmaps for tomorrow. While these “Big Truths” are specific to this client, we’re guessing they are applicable to your organization as well.

ONE: Salary Structures Vary by Size of Organization

Salaries and pay ranges—especially at executive and leadership levels—varied dramatically depending on the size and scope of each organization. In this case, size (or organization) mattered… and it mattered a lot. This might seem to be a, “well, duh” moment, but in context it is important to note that larger organizations have more opportunities to leverage financial incentives, while smaller organizations must get more creative on the compensation and benefits front.

TWO: Benefits Are Generous (But Not Always Strategic)

Many of the organizations we collected data from offered robust non-salary benefits and nearly all of them had as a baseline generous PTO, strong retirement packages, and medical insurance. This was something to celebrate!

But these core benefits don’t always meet the needs of today’s workforce. Instead of defaulting to what’s always been done, leaders can ask who are our employees and how can benefits meet their needs?” While we found plenty of offerings of more traditional benefits, few if any organizations were formally offering hybrid work schedules, or wellness and mental health perks, or childcare reimbursement, or continuing education, or technology stipends—all things the incoming generation of workforce says they value.

THREE: Retention is More than Turnover—it is About Reflection and Replacement

Retention concerns aren’t new in the nonprofit sector. Yet, our review of job descriptions did not find discernible information about career advancement. If I can’t advance and grow, why do I stay?  

Through this study, we reframed the narrative to reflect on why employees leave, how we support employees who stay, and how we identify and plan for future talent. A proactive approach to workforce sustainability is essential. That includes leadership pipelines, succession planning for all roles, and professional development that meets people where they are and takes them towards their desired career growth.

FOUR: The Funding Structure Might Hold Us Back

We found that the current funding model for many organizations may (unintentionally?) be holding compensation and benefits challenges in place. Balancing accountability with flexibility is hard. Rigid funding models can make it difficult to adjust salaries, enhance benefits, or invest in development activities that generate more unrestricted funding. Breaking these cycles will take intentional change—from organizations themselves and the grant makers, both public and private who are providing the funds in the first place.

Why This Matters (Hint: It’s About More Than Money)

We went to great lengths to listen to the voices of those working within the Network; honoring the people who show up every day to make life better for children and families in North Carolina. Yes, compensation matters—but so does culture, clarity, leadership, and care. We also wanted to move beyond a report, so we co-created three tools Local Partnerships could use right away to move them to action. Each tool—an employee life-cycle guide, a job description template, and a compensation calculator—was shaped with end-user input, tailored to the Network’s culture, and designed to work with organizations of all shapes and sizes. But, don’t take our work for it. Here’s some feedback from the end users themselves.

“Thank you, these materials are very comprehensive and helpful.”

“This will be so helpful. I have been wanting a compensation report and what you have done has exceeded my expectations.”

“This is so awesome. Best. Tool. Ever.”

To be direct, this project was also about future-proofing—designing systems (including funding models!) that meet today’s needs while staying strong enough to handle tomorrow’s challenges and opportunities. This is something all of us in the nonprofit and social service sectors could stand to do a little more of!

The findings offered this particular client a reason to celebrate and an inflection point for change. For us, this work was also a microcosm of the sector as a whole. Some organizations already do incredible things for their teams; others have opportunities to improve—some right now with no or minimal resources, others over time with investment and partnership. In any case, we hope that there will be transformational benefit within and across the organizations that participated.  

What’s Next?

We have already seen the results of this work used to spark conversations, create pilot strategies to strengthen the workforce, and advocate for smarter funding and stronger supports. How exciting! The key takeaway being that well-designed salary and benefit plans don’t just build strong teams. They create systems where people—and the populations they serve—can thrive.

 The report and its accompanying tools have started the change journey for this client…what could a similar project do for you?