Nonprofit Community Development CEO Salary in North Dakota

Official IRS Form 990 Schedule J compensation benchmarks for CEO positions across community development 501(c)(3) nonprofits in North Dakota (with annual budgets between $3M – $5M). Based on 26 matched filings for IRS § 4958 safe harbor compliance.

25th Percentile
$122,347
Lower Bound
Median (50th %)
$135,576
Market Consensus
75th Percentile
$156,938
Safe Harbor Ceiling
Matched Peer Group
26 Filings
IRS Verified Peers
Filter Peer Group
Empirical Market Analysis · North Dakota
Census Division: West North Central

At $135,576, the median CEO compensation for North Dakota nonprofits in the $3M – $5M operating band sits 25% below the national benchmark ($180,810), reflecting regional cost-of-labor variations in the West North Central division. Matched peer filings establish an interquartile safe harbor range between $122,347 (25th percentile) and $156,938 (75th percentile).

Across this 26-organization peer group, median executive remuneration accounts for 3% of total organizational operating expenditures (interquartile peer range: 3% – 4%). Base salary represents an average of 81.1% of total compensation, with performance incentives reported by 100% of reporting institutions (averaging $9,708 among participating organizations).

Interquartile Safe Harbor Distribution

Treasury Regulation § 53.4958-6(c)(2) Rebuttable Presumption Bandwidth

26 Verified Filings
P10$105,381
P25 (Safe Min)$122,347
Median (50th)$135,576
P75 (Safe Max)$156,938
P90$168,255
Legal Precedent: To secure the IRS Rebuttable Presumption of Reasonableness, tax-exempt governing boards must establish that approved compensation falls within market comparability bounds prior to voting. Compensation between the 25th and 75th percentiles ($122,347 – $156,938) represents the defensible interquartile standard accepted by federal regulators.

Schedule J Pay-Mix Distribution

Average component allocation across Form 990 Part VII Section A & Schedule J Part II extracts

26 Matched Filings
Base Salary
$113,482
81.1% of total remuneration
Bonus & Incentive
$9,708
100% peer participation
Deferred Comp
$8,399
100% peer participation
Nontaxable Benefits
$5,599
100% peer coverage
Sample Size26 Matched Filings
Average Budget$4,248,993
Pay-to-Budget Ratio3% (3%–4%)
IRS Filing Vintage2022–2025 XML Extracts

Matched Form 990 Peer Organizations

Sample peer group entries matched by budget, NTEE taxonomy, and geographic cost-of-labor

Showing 3 of 26 peers
Rolette Community Care Center
EIN: 205330283 • Metro Area, ND • Budget: $3,903,493
$1••,•••
Schedule J Locked
COMMUNITY ACTION REGION VI
EIN: 450333497 • Metro Area, ND • Budget: $4,148,162
$1••,•••
Schedule J Locked
SOUTH SEGMENT COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
EIN: 465769818 • Metro Area, ND • Budget: $4,152,163
$1••,•••
Schedule J Locked

Access All 26 Matched Peer Filings

Generate the full, audit-ready 8-page Board Compliance Packet including individual peer line-item disclosures (Base, Bonus, Deferred, Benefits), statutory citations, and turnkey board minutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the typical salary for a CEO at a North Dakota nonprofit with $3M – $5M?

Based on 26 verified IRS Form 990 Schedule J filings in North Dakota, the median total compensation for a CEO is $135,576. The 25th percentile sits at $122,347 and the 75th percentile (the rebuttable safe harbor ceiling) is $156,938.

How does North Dakota CEO pay compare to national averages?

At $135,576, median CEO compensation in North Dakota is 25% lower than the national baseline ($180,810) for comparable operating budgets, consistent with economic indices in the West North Central division.

What percentage of operating budget should a 501(c)(3) spend on its CEO?

Across matched peer filings for $3M – $5M nonprofits, median CEO compensation represents 3% of total organizational operating expenses. The middle 50% of peer institutions allocate between 3% and 4% of expenditures to executive leadership.

How does Treasury Regulation § 53.4958-6 protect board members approving executive compensation?

Under Treasury Regulation § 53.4958-6, tax-exempt governing boards secure the Rebuttable Presumption of Reasonableness when they rely on independent comparability data from similarly situated peer organizations prior to voting and record the decision contemporaneously in their minutes. Once established, the legal burden shifts to the IRS to prove that compensation was excessive.