In past years we have provided suggested salary scales for employers in Social Services and Community Ministries, based on the Labour Cost Index for each Year End September. However, it seems due to the recession few not-for-profit organisations plan to use such calculations for the coming year. Therefore a more appropriate guide may be what people are currently paying.

To this end, we will be sending a survey soon to all Baptist community ministries and social service providers, requesting details of their pay rates for various grades.

You may think this survey idea sounds familiar, and that would be because we did send out a survey in June 2010 requesting the same information, but only a handful of groups responded.

So, if you receive a request for this information, can we ask that you respond promptly so we can develop some suggested salary scales based on realistic, current rates, and distribute these to all Baptist community ministries and social service providers. Please be assured we will not name any particular group.

We are aware there is information available (e.g. Strategic Pay surveys) on salaries among not-for-profits in general, but we suspect that even these rates may be beyond what are currently being paid in the Christian NFP sector.