Results from the Croner Compensation Survey of Foundations
The recently published results of the 2025 Croner Compensation Survey of Foundations show noteworthy trends in pay at grantmaking foundations from the past year among leading organizations in the sector.
In-depth Market Data
Croner’s annual report provides in-depth market data for compensation and benefits specific to jobs at grantmaking organizations. Foundations studied include private foundations and community foundations. The report covers the salary administration practices, investment plan design and benefits offered along with comprehensive compensation data for all jobs and organization levels. The results are from 195 grantmaking organizations in the United States.
Noteworthy Trends
Trends in pay for jobs at grantmaking foundations from the recent survey results include:
- Private foundations experienced steady compensation growth at all organization levels from 2024 to 2025. Base salary increases drove growth in base salary.
- All asset categories experienced steady growth in base salaries. Asset category C (foundations with assets below $400 million) showed the highest growth.
- Community foundations experienced strong growth across all organization levels year over year. Executives at community foundations experienced material growth in pay. The growth in pay was driven primarily by growth in base salaries.
- “Hot Jobs” – jobs for which compensation grew materially year over year – include Program, Communications, Legal, Office of the CEO and Development positions.
Annual Report- for U.S. and Global Compensation Data
The annual Croner Compensation Survey of Foundations is the trusted industry resource specific to jobs in grantmaking organizations in the U.S. The report provides in-depth compensation data on 250 sector-specific positions and on benefits offered. Data cuts are provided by asset size, workforce size, grants paid and geographic region. The survey invites participation from private foundations, community foundations and public charities. A supplemental compensation survey is conducted for jobs at grantmaking foundations outside of the U.S.
For more information about participation in a Croner survey, please contact Laurie Krashanoff, Manager, Account Relations, at +(415) 485-5521 or laurie@croner.com.
Follow this link to find out more about The Croner Company’s compensation surveys.
2025 Croner Compensation Survey of Foundations Results
The Croner Company’s surveys and consulting services are relied upon by organizations at all stages of growth to establish and modify pay practices and align compensation with mission, values and market.
To learn more about our consulting services, please contact Lisa Dyakovski, Senior Consultant at the Croner Company, at (415) 485-5516 or lisa@croner.com.
For more information about The Croner Company’s compensation surveys, please contact Laurie Krashanoff, Manager, Account Relations, at +(415) 485-5521 or laurie@croner.com.