This summer, my daughter is working as a camp counselor. Last week, camp was canceled (for one day) due to flooding. After returning to work, she reported that counselors were told they would not be paid for the canceled day of camp.
I hope she’s wrong or misunderstood, but I doubt it.
It’s possible that camp gave families a refund for the missed day. Some families may have complained or asked for a refund, especially if they had to pay for alternate childcare. However, it seems more likely that no refund was offered or given only to those who requested it.
Let’s assume a refund was given to all families for the canceled day. Does that justify docking counselor pay?
Money vs. Morale: Your Decisions Matter
This post isn’t about whether the leadership team made a moral decision. Although I would argue they did not (given my assumptions). They made a financial decision, which was neither moral nor good for morale.
For the sake of this post, I’m interested in the question of morale. Counselors are expected to work hard, be enthusiastic, and show up with a great attitude. They are not working on an assembly line; their attitude matters. They might be working to save up for a car, pay for college, or even make ends meet because teacher salaries are insufficient.
Most people don’t simply work for the fun of it, but because they need the money. Docking pay damages morale. And morale is in shorter supply these days in many fields — especially fundraising.
Leadership is About Hard Choices
Let’s assume the camp provided a refund to all camp families for the missed day and therefore decided to dock counselor pay. Unless the camp was in dire financial straits, I would argue they should have taken the loss in favor of morale.
At Capital Campaign Pro, my co-founder and I try to make decisions based on generosity and kindness. That often means we take a financial hit (loss). We hope this policy reflects well on us as employers and with our clients. However, we do it because we feel it’s the right thing to do and a good business practice.
I am aware that we can take this approach because we can afford to do so. Thus, it’s an easy decision to make. However, not all organizations or companies would make the same decision under the same circumstances.
Leadership Matters… As Does Fundraiser Morale
I wish I could’ve been a fly on the wall when the decision was made to dock counselor pay. Was it an easy choice or a difficult one? Did one person make the decision by themselves or after consulting with others?
The next time you’re faced with a decision at your nonprofit, especially one that impacts others under your leadership, I hope you’ll think of this post.
How are decisions made at your organization? What might you have done differently? Please share a comment below.
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