How can the Project Leader be paid for their work?

Community Partners supports and encourages all projects to pay Project Leaders. The Project Leader can become a paid employee when the project budget can support ongoing payroll costs. If you, as the Project Leader, are considering becoming a paid employee, please discuss the viability of your plan with the client services team.

Additionally, Community Partners requires specific approval by your project advisory board, to protect you from any appearance of conflict of interest. Your project advisory board must review your project’s current funding and budget to confirm the amount available for your salary, including taxes and benefits. In accordance with IRS regulations, the compensation of highly paid employees may be subject to review and approval by the Community Partners board of directors.

The definition of "highly paid" can be relative to a non-profit's budget and mission. Generally, a non-profit employee earning over $100,000 in reportable compensation is considered highly compensated by the IRS for reporting purposes. If your project is considering paying the Project Leader or other staff members more than $100,000, please consider and discuss the following with your project advisory board and the client services team:

• Your organization's size
• Your organization's budget
• Your organization's mission focus
• Geographical location, and
• Funding profile (including your organization's financial needs, funding sources, and strategies for securing financial support)