The list below includes the top three compensation packages of $1 million or more at each nonprofit, and is based on CharityWatch’s most current information as of October 2nd, 2023. The Compensation column includes total of base compensation, bonus and incentive compensation, retirement and deferred compensation, nontaxable benefits, and other reportable compensation as reported to the IRS (Form W-2, 1099-MISC, and/or 1099-NEC), excluding any amounts already reported by the organization in a prior year IRS Form 990. Retirement payouts, deferred compensation, severance, and bonuses that (a) comprise 75% or more of total annual compensation, or (b) total to $1 million or more are footnoted.
NOTE: Due to differences in the way compensation might be allocated, high salaries do not necessarily indicate inefficiencies just as low salaries are not always beneficial. A more detailed explanation is provided below the chart.
| Name & Title | Charity | Compensation | Fiscal Year | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Cox Past Executive Director, NRA Institute for Legislative Action | National Rifle Association (NRA) | $6,183,381 | 12/31/2021 | |
| Note: Chris Cox, former officer, ended his employment on June 26, 2019, and received taxable compensation of $2,437,951 as part of a litigation settlement, plus payments for his attorneys’ fees made directly to his attorneys and reported on Form 1099-NEC in the amount of $3,745,430. | ||||
| Ellen Raney, M.D. Orthopedic Surgeon/Professor | Shriners Hospitals for Children | $3,366,552 | 12/31/2022 | |
| Note: Includes $2,664,737 defined benefit supplemental executive retirement plan payment. | ||||
| Robert W. Stone President/CEO | City of Hope & Affiliates | $3,282,563 | 09/30/2021 | |
| Note: Includes $1,371,000 bonus & incentive compensation. | ||||
| Nancy Brown CEO | American Heart Association | $3,172,723 | 06/30/2022 | |
| Note: Includes $2,082,615 bonus & incentive compensation. | ||||
| Craig B. Thompson, M.D. President/CEO | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | $2,948,983 | 12/31/2021 | |
| Laurie H. Glimcher, M.D. President/CEO | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | $2,802,980 | 09/30/2022 | |
| Jason Klein Senior VP/Chief Investment Officer | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | $2,801,783 | 12/31/2021 | |
| Note: Includes $1,073,126 deferred compensation. | ||||
| Babak Mehrara, M.D. Chief Attending, Surgery | Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center | $2,639,003 | 12/31/2021 | |
| Michael S. Salem, M.D. President/CEO | National Jewish Health | $2,020,146 | 06/30/2022 | |
| Harlan Levine, M.D. President, Strategy & Business Ventures | City of Hope & Affiliates | $1,926,219 | 09/30/2021 | |
| Myra Biblowit President/CEO | Breast Cancer Research Foundation | $1,837,111 | 06/30/2022 | |
| David Ellison Chair, Pathology/Director, Neuropathology | St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital | $1,829,593 | 06/30/2022 | |
| Note: Includes $1,035,264 non-qualified deferred compensation plan payment. | ||||
| Jack Mahler, M.D. Chief Investment Officer | Cystic Fibrosis Foundation | $1,709,375 | 12/31/2021 | |
| Annette Walker President, COH Orange County Cancer Center | City of Hope & Affiliates | $1,696,372 | 09/30/2021 | |
| Emily Naus, M.D. Past Anesthesiologist | Shriners Hospitals for Children | $1,547,530 | 12/31/2022 | |
| Note: Includes $1,005,253 defined benefit supplemental executive retirement plan payment. | ||||
| James R. Downing President/CEO | St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital | $1,546,372 | 06/30/2022 | |
| Brian Gallagher Past CEO | United Way Worldwide | $1,538,953 | 12/31/2021 | |
| Harry Johns Past President/CEO | Alzheimer’s Association | $1,468,134 | 06/30/2022 | |
| Deborah W. Brooks Co-Founder/CEO | Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research | $1,423,665 | 12/31/2022 | |
| Edward J. Benz, Jr., M.D. President/CEO Emeritus | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute | $1,396,571 | 09/30/2022 | |
| Maureen Maciel, M.D. Past Chief of Staff | Shriners Hospitals for Children | $1,334,258 | 12/31/2022 | |
| Todd Sherer Chief Mission Officer | Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research | $1,310,814 | 12/31/2022 | |
| Kelli Jo Shidler, M.D. Physician | Boys Town | $1,305,424 | 12/31/2021 | |
| David M. Yarnold Past President/CEO | National Audubon Society | $1,276,173 | 06/30/2022 | |
| Jonathan A. Greenblatt CEO/National Director | Anti-Defamation League & Foundation | $1,251,732 | 12/31/2021 | |
| Charles Ryan, M.D. President/CEO | Prostate Cancer Foundation | $1,248,911 | 12/31/2022 | |
| Cristian Samper President/CEO | Wildlife Conservation Society | $1,237,933 | 06/30/2022 | |
| Thomas E. Merchant Chair, Radiation Oncology | St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital | $1,232,030 | 06/30/2022 | |
| Marc H. Morial President/CEO | National Urban League (National Office) | $1,195,802 | 12/31/2021 | |
| Sarah C. Hirshland CEO | United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee | $1,175,947 | 12/31/2022 | |
| John Allen Past President | Brookings Institution | $1,172,263 | 06/30/2022 | |
| Carter Roberts President/CEO | World Wildlife Fund | $1,160,844 | 06/30/2022 | |
| Michael L. Lomax President/CEO | UNCF/United Negro College Fund | $1,149,543 | 03/31/2022 | |
| Wayne R. LaPierre Ex-Officio & NRA Executive VP | National Rifle Association (NRA) Foundation | $1,143,868 | 12/31/2021 | |
| Note: Compensation is paid by the related National Rifle Association (NRA). | ||||
| David Miliband President/CEO | International Rescue Committee | $1,142,414 | 09/30/2022 | |
| Michael P. Boyle, M.D. President/CEO | Cystic Fibrosis Foundation | $1,124,922 | 12/31/2021 | |
| Marc S. Ginsky Past COO | Cystic Fibrosis Foundation | $1,105,711 | 12/31/2021 | |
| Leslie Upton COO | American Heart Association | $1,102,406 | 06/30/2022 | |
| Louis J. DeGennaro Past President/CEO | Leukemia & Lymphoma Society | $1,062,390 | 06/30/2022 | |
| Mariell Jessup Chief Science & Medical Officer | American Heart Association | $1,038,293 | 06/30/2022 | |
| Saro Jahani President/CEO | HelpMeSee | $1,023,399 | 12/31/2022 | |
CharityWatch’s “A+” to “F” letter grade ratings and financial efficiency ratios take into account how a nonprofit’s employee salaries and other compensation are allocated among program, management & general, and fundraising functions.
Nonprofits generally allocate compensation based on how each member of staff spends their time. For example, the salary of a doctor who spends 100% of their time on a charity’s program activities, such as providing direct medical care, would generally be allocated 100% to program. A fundraising or development executive’s salary would be allocated 100% to fundraising. An executive director or president of a charity might spent 40% of their time on program activities, 25% of their time managing their nonprofit, and 35% on fundraising, and this person’s compensation would be allocated among program, management & general, and fundraising expenses commensurately.
Due to differences in the way compensation is allocated by charities in their IRS Form(s) 990 and audited financial statements, high salaries do not necessarily indicate inefficiencies just as low salaries are not always beneficial. Rather than perceiving a particular nonprofit executive’s compensation as too high or too low based on its nominal value, appropriate salaries are better determined by considering factors such as special skills needed for the position, relevant education and experience, and the complexity of a charity’s operations. CharityWatch encourages donors to view each nonprofit’s letter grade rating to better understand how efficiently it is operating overall prior to making a giving decision.