On the heels of Jack Flynn’s eye-opening article in the Republican about the multiple, big fat paychecks Herbie Flores collects from his various non-profit gigs, Channel 22 reported yesterday on the healthy salaries of several other local non-profit leaders.
Topping the survey, by reporters Laura Hutchinson and Jessica Stanley was, of course, the aforementioned Flores. Behind him: John Doleva, president of the Basketball Hall of Fame, who collected just under $300,000 a year.
Also on the list; Judy Matt, head of Spirit of Springfield, whose $153,000 salary is a perennial source of fodder for public debate.
One curious inclusion on the list: the $158,000 earned by Joe Carvalho during his time as president of the Springfield Museums Association. Carvalho retired from that job almost two years ago; why doesn’t the list include his successor, Holly Smith-Bove? (Wondering what Carvalho’s been up to since leaving the museum job? Check out this fascinating post on Tom Devine’s blog.)
Flores and Doleva (whose organization, it’s fair to point out, is really more a national than local organization) notwithstanding, the list doesn’t include quite as many jaw-dropping bombs as one might expect. Perhaps more edifying would be a follow-up report looking at how local non-profits spend the money they receive, from public sources and private donors alike. How much goes to actual services, for instance, and how much is spent on administrative salaries and fancy-pants fundraisers? How are lower- and middle-level workers paid in comparison to the big bosses? Does the organization spend any of its money on anti-union campaigns?
Two places to start finding some of those answers: the Attorney General’s website, where you can access financial reports for charities and non-profits registered in the state, or CharityNavigator.org.
