But is the real problem with the charity sector or the economic model it seeks to survive in?
Last Sunday, The Telegraph published a piece criticising pay disparities in the charity sector. While it’s not typically the go-to paper for highlighting the struggles of low-paid workers—or for challenging excessive pay at the top—it argued that high CEO salaries are damaging public trust in charities and contributing to a drop in donations.
Our Head of Communications, Andrew Speke, joined Matthew Wright on LBC to respond. Andrew argued that charities, like private companies, have a moral responsibility to provide fair pay and decent working conditions. Too often, some third sector organisations mirror the private sector’s worst habits—large gaps between executive and worker pay, and a tendency to cut lower-paid roles rather than seeking savings elsewhere.
While it’s fair to hold charities to high standards—especially given their social missions and reliance on donations—we should also question why the far greater inequalities in the private sector receive less attention. Many charities go well beyond what most businesses offer, adopting fairer, more democratic models of leadership and pay.
Where problems do exist, they often reflect a wider economic system that concentrates power and rewards at the top, leaving frontline staff with low pay and little voice. If we want meaningful change in the charity sector, we also need to confront how our economy defines success and treats workers across the board.