Rémunérer celles et ceux qui font le bien : la rémunération dans les OBNL en 2026

There persists, in some quarters, a curious belief that the most virtuous charity is the one that pays its people least. The belief is well-intentioned and profoundly mistaken. Programmes are delivered by people; organisations that cannot retain skilled people cannot sustain good programmes.

The 2026 Canadian Nonprofit Sector Salary & Benefits Report, published by CharityVillage on 30 April 2026 and drawn from 924 organisations representing more than 11,000 employees, offers a useful picture of where the sector now stands.

What the report found

Management and supervisory staff received the largest average increase, at 6.2 per cent, followed by support staff at 4.4 per cent, programme staff at 3.5 per cent and senior management at 3.0 per cent. Since December 2020, compensation across most levels has risen by between 18.7 and 25.2 per cent — outpacing inflation over the period.

Benefits have also become more common: 85 per cent of participating organisations provide health benefits and 55 per cent offer retirement benefits. The report also records a persistent gap at the top, with male chief executives earning roughly 20 per cent more than their female counterparts.

Why this matters to donors

Donors sometimes ask what share of their gift reaches “the programme.” It is a fair question, but it can obscure a deeper truth: the counsellor, the teacher, the coordinator and the IT administrator are the programme. An organisation that underpays them is not efficient; it is fragile.

Practical steps for small organisations

• Benchmark honestly. Sector surveys make it possible to see where one’s salaries stand relative to peers.
• Value benefits beyond salary. Flexibility, professional development and wellbeing support are meaningful, particularly where budgets are tight.
• Address pay equity deliberately. Gaps rarely close on their own; they close when boards decide they must.

Fair compensation is not a luxury the sector will afford once its mission is accomplished. It is one of the means by which the mission is accomplished at all.