Maximize Business Performance

• Market benchmarking and peer group development
  Evaluate executive roles against relevant market data using thoughtfully designed comparison factors based on industry, geography, organizational size, and complexity.
• Independent executive compensation assessments
  Provide third‑party, objective analysis of executive compensation programs to assess market competitiveness and reasonableness across key pay components, including base salary, target incentives and total cash compensation.
• Individual executive pay analysis and recommendations
  Compare each executive’s compensation to the market using a quartile‑based approach that considers experience, performance, and role scope. Recommendations are refined within the market range and can be modeled using a phased approach aligned with budget and compensation philosophy.
• Executive retirement and succession planning
  Support the design and evaluation of executive retirement and transition arrangements, including succession planning considerations, to promote continuity and smooth leadership transitions.
• Equity and incentive program support
  Assess and support the design of executive incentive, ensuring alignment with organizational strategy, performance expectations, and market practices.
• Regulatory and reasonableness analyses (as applicable)
  Provide compensation reasonableness assessments to support compliance considerations (such as for healthcare or nonprofit organizations), leveraging credible market data and defensible methodologies.
• Results communication and implementation support
  Partner with leadership and boards to clearly communicate findings, market context, and recommendations, supporting informed decision‑making and effective implementation.

• Independent, third-party assessment of the reasonableness and market competitiveness of total direct compensation (base salary, annual incentives, and long-term incentives) for employees in public, private, and not-for-profit organizations.
• NFP Compensation Consulting also analyzes base salary structures, conducts job ranking and classification studies, and determines total cash compensation plans for organizations.

• Review, revise or design outside board of director compensation for public, private or not-for-profit organizations.
• Recommend amounts and elements of compensation that are market competitive and ensure that pay governance is aligned with shareholder interests.

NFP provides compensation consulting and incentive planning services for not-for-profit organizations designed to support mission‑driven work while remaining competitive in today’s labor market. We understand the unique balance not-for-profits must strike between budget stewardship, talent retention, and public trust—and we help make compensation decisions clear, defensible, and easy to manage.

Our work helps not-for-profit organizations:

• Remain competitive in attracting and retaining talent—both within the not-for-profit sector and when competing with for‑profit organizations for specialized roles.
• Make the most of limited salary budgets through market‑based benchmarking, clear pay structures, and thoughtful prioritization.
• Promote internal equity and pay transparency with practical, easy‑to‑use compensation frameworks.
• Support confident pay decisions by grounding compensation practices in credible, not-for-profit‑relevant market data.
• Demonstrate compensation reasonableness and alignment with performance, supporting good governance and regulatory expectations.

NFP partners closely with not-for-profit leaders to deliver compensation benchmarking, pay structure design, incentive and bonus program support, and total rewards communication strategies that are tailored to each organization’s size, mission, and operating environment. Our collaborative approach ensures compensation programs are not only technically sound—but also sustainable, understandable, and aligned with organizational values.

At NFP, we’re here to make not-for-profit compensation simple, strategic, and mission‑supportive, so you can stay focused on what matters most—your people and the communities you serve.

Learn more about our not-for-profit compensation services »

SEE ALSO: “Paying for Performance in Not-for-profits — How & Why Incentive Based Compensation Helps NFP” »

• Evaluate the alignment between performance and pay outcomes
  Assess how performance results are reflected in compensation decisions, with a focus on salary increases, incentives, and overall pay progression.
• Merit and salary increase program design
  Review and design merit programs and merit matrices that differentiate pay increases based on performance and position in range, while supporting budget discipline and internal equity.
• Performance measure and goal alignment
  Assess organizational and job‑level goals to ensure performance measures are clear, relevant, and aligned with business objectives, role scope, and expected contributions.
• Market and internal equity considerations
  Integrate market positioning and compa‑ratio analysis into pay‑for‑performance recommendations to ensure increases are both competitive and equitable.
• Practical guidance for implementation and communication
  Provide clear guidelines, tools, and manager talking points to support consistent application of the merit process and effective communication with employees.

• Design and drafting of proxy statements and effective CD&A sections to ensure readability, flow, compliance, and the incorporation of trending best practice disclosures.
• Review of current proxies and CD&As to enhance shareholder readability and ensure disclosures meet all necessary requirements.
• Executive compensation disclosure advisory and review, including CEO pay ratio calculation and how to disclose within the proxy.

Pay inequality consulting services include but are not limited to:

• annual review of pay for possible inequality or discrepancies
• researching source or reason for inequality; create a plan or process to correct inequalities in the future
• assure proper representation of population in geographic market
• create curriculum to train supervisors how to monitor pay for signs of inequality
• and establish accountability and responsible parties for reaching diversity and pay equality goals.

Learn More about our Pay Equity services »

SEE ALSO: “The Full Picture with Gender Pay Equity” »
“Establishing and Maintaining Pay Equity” »

Effective compensation programs don’t stop with good design—they require clear, thoughtful communication. NFP partners with organizations to help leaders and managers clearly explain pay practices, compensation decisions, and total rewards in a way that builds trust, understanding, and consistency.

Our work supports organizations by helping them:

• Clarify compensation philosophy and pay practices
  Translate compensation strategy, market positioning, and pay programs into clear, understandable language for leaders, managers, and employees.
• Support pay transparency initiatives
  Help organizations navigate increasing expectations around pay transparency by defining what to share, how to share it, and how to do so in a way that aligns with culture, governance requirements, and business goals.
• Equip managers for pay conversations
  Provide practical tools, guidelines, and talking points to help managers confidently communicate merit increases, promotions, and pay decisions—ensuring consistency across the organization.
• Explain the “why” behind pay decisions
  Connect compensation outcomes to performance, market data, and internal equity so employees better understand how pay decisions are made.
• Reinforce fairness and consistency
  Align messaging with compensation structures, merit programs, and incentive designs to reduce confusion and address employee concerns proactively.
• Deliver clear, accessible materials
  Develop manager guides, FAQs, presentation materials, and employee communications that make compensation easier to understand and easier to explain.

NFP’s approach to compensation communication emphasizes clarity, consistency, and usability. By pairing strong program design with effective communication, we help organizations strengthen employee trust, improve engagement, and support smoother implementation of compensation programs.