The average income increased to £52,000, the first raise since 2013’s high of £60,000
The Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations’ (ACEVO) annual Pay and Equalities Survey found charity CEOs worked on average 10 extra hours a week, meaning in total they spent three months working for no pay.
For the first time since ACEVO launched its annual Pay and Equalities Survey, CEOs were asked how many extra hours they typically worked per week and the answer was equivalent to almost one and a half days over the standard five.
One third of respondents to the Pay and Equalities Survey had an income of under £500,000 and a further 19% had an income of between £500,000 and £1m. The survey found that the average salary has increased slightly from £50,000 in 2017 to £52,000 in 2018. This is still well below the high of £60,000 recorded in 2013.
Some 35% of charity CEOs have no regular appraisal, however this improves as the organisation size grows, with only 16% of large charities having no regular appraisals compared with 44% of small charity CEOs. Furthermore, 68% of small charities offer flexible working compared to only 46% of charities with an income of over 15m.
For the third year running the number of female respondents increased. This year 63% of respondents were female and 36% male but the survey showed there was still a gender pay gap of 13.8%.
Though there was a small increase in black and minority ethnic (BAME) respondents from last year (6% up from 3%) ACEVO said it was still too low, especially as one quarter of respondents were based in London which has a higher percentage of BAME residents than the country as a whole. The number of disabled CEOs was also under representative meaning that while the number of female CEOs increased, the data indicated this is broadly limited to white, non-disabled women.
The body said that while governance processes and inclusion needed improving, it was positive that 89% of respondents said they would be likely to recommend a career in the third sector.
Vicky Browning, CEO of ACEVO said: “Most CEOs in our sector see leading their organisations as a privilege. Long hours are often accepted as a symptom of limited resources facing unlimited demand. But working an extra one and a half days over the standard five can seriously impact wellbeing and even lead to burnout. Trustees need to take seriously their duty of care to chief executives as well as the organisations and beneficiaries they serve.
“It is positive to see the percentage of female CEOs better reflect the voluntary sector workforce. But as in previous years, the percentage of female and male BAME CEOs is too low, as is the number of disabled CEOs. The Pay and Equalities survey shows us that more needs to be done to ensure all charities are supportive and inclusive workplaces that enable CEOs and staff to thrive and better meet their charitable mission.”