06.08.13
High salaries for charities ‘risk disrepute’
Charity chief executives have come under fire for accepting large pay rises. The Charity Commission warned that it risked bringing their work into “disrepute”.
Research by The Daily Telegraph shows the number of staff at the 14 leading foreign aid charities earning six-figure salaries has increased from 19 to 30 over the past three years. The average salary for a charity chief executive is £58,000.
Charity Commission William Shawcross told the newspaper: “It is not for the Commission to tell charities how much they should pay their executives. That is a matter for their trustees.
“However in these difficult times, when many charities are experiencing shortfalls, trustees should consider whether very high salaries are really appropriate, and fair to both the donors and the taxpayers who fund charities.
“Disproportionate salaries risk bringing organisations and the wider charitable world into disrepute.”
But Sir Stephen Bubb, chief executive of charity leaders organisation Acevo, said: “This simply isn't an issue for donors. Donors are more concerned about the outcomes, the performance and the efficiency of these organisations.
“To keep talent, really strong people, at the top of these organisations they need to be paid properly.
“These are still not excessive salaries when you compare them to the public and private sectors. The big national and international charities are very demanding jobs and we need to attract the best talent to those jobs and that’s what we do.”
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