The ranks of foundation staff and leaders are becoming slightly more diverse, an annual survey by the Council on Foundations finds.

Based on salary and demographic data from 952 organizations, the 2021 Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report (410 pages, PDF) found that people of color represent 28.9 percent of full-time foundation staff, up from 27.3 percent in 2020, though down from 35.4 percent in 2018 and 32.5 percent in 2019. Among chief executives and program officers, the share of people of color increased to 12.1 percent and 39.7 percent, respectively, from 10.3 percent and 34.8 percent. At the same time, the share of CEOs over the age of 50 held steady at 77 percent. Women, who consistently represent around 76 percent of full-time foundation staff, accounted for 60 percent of foundation leaders, up from 57.8 percent in 2020, but their median salary of $180,300 remained significantly lower than that of their male peers, $215,870.

According to the report, the median full-time salary across thirty-six types of positions in 2021 was $87,866, with family and independent foundations reporting the highest median salaries ($111,000 and $108,000, respectively) and community foundations reporting the lowest ($72,000). The median salary was highest for chief investment officers, at $332,589, compared with $197,185 for CEOs and $90,974 for program officers. The survey also found that more foundations reported providing "other" benefits beyond health insurance and retirement funds, such as flexible spending accounts, tuition assistance, or matching gifts programs. In addition, 85 percent of respondents reported that their staff received a salary increase in 2020, while 100 percent of respondents said they planned to award an increase in 2021.

"This year's Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Report offers a hopeful sign that philanthropy is expanding the leadership table and finding new ways to support employees amidst ongoing crises," said Council on Foundations president and CEO Kathleen Enright. "We hope to see this positive momentum continue so that in next year's GSB we can share evidence of additional progress to build and support a diverse philanthropic workforce."

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