Nonprofit Community Development CEO Salary in Minnesota

Official IRS Form 990 Schedule J compensation benchmarks for CEO positions across community development 501(c)(3) nonprofits in Minnesota (with annual budgets between $5M – $10M). Based on 32 matched filings for IRS § 4958 safe harbor compliance.

25th Percentile
$159,035
Lower Bound
Median (50th %)
$165,653
Market Consensus
75th Percentile
$178,074
Safe Harbor Ceiling
Matched Peer Group
32 Filings
IRS Verified Peers
Filter Peer Group
Empirical Market Analysis · Minnesota
Census Division: West North Central

At $165,653, the median CEO compensation for Minnesota nonprofits in the $5M – $10M operating band sits 28.4% below the national benchmark ($231,280), reflecting regional cost-of-labor variations in the West North Central division. Matched peer filings establish an interquartile safe harbor range between $159,035 (25th percentile) and $178,074 (75th percentile).

Across this 32-organization peer group, median executive remuneration accounts for 2% of total organizational operating expenditures (interquartile peer range: 2% – 3%). Base salary represents an average of 81% of total compensation, with performance incentives reported by 100% of reporting institutions (averaging $11,765 among participating organizations).

Interquartile Safe Harbor Distribution

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

32 Verified Filings
P10$149,370
P25 (Safe Min)$159,035
Median (50th)$165,653
P75 (Safe Max)$178,074
P90$183,924
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 ($159,035 – $178,074) 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

32 Matched Filings
Base Salary
$136,141
81% of total remuneration
Bonus & Incentive
$11,765
100% peer participation
Deferred Comp
$10,084
100% peer participation
Nontaxable Benefits
$6,723
100% peer coverage
Sample Size32 Matched Filings
Average Budget$6,995,632
Pay-to-Budget Ratio2% (2%–3%)
IRS Filing Vintage2020–2025 XML Extracts

Matched Form 990 Peer Organizations

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

Showing 3 of 32 peers
OREN AND SHARRON STEINFELDT FOUNDATION
EIN: 134228266 • Metro Area, MN • Budget: $7,371,406
$1••,•••
Schedule J Locked
SABATHANI COMMUNITY CENTER
EIN: 410984859 • Metro Area, MN • Budget: $7,306,706
$1••,•••
Schedule J Locked
KOOTASCA COMMUNITY ACTION INC
EIN: 410904805 • Metro Area, MN • Budget: $7,838,334
$1••,•••
Schedule J Locked

Access All 32 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 Minnesota nonprofit with $5M – $10M?

Based on 32 verified IRS Form 990 Schedule J filings in Minnesota, the median total compensation for a CEO is $165,653. The 25th percentile sits at $159,035 and the 75th percentile (the rebuttable safe harbor ceiling) is $178,074.

How does Minnesota CEO pay compare to national averages?

At $165,653, median CEO compensation in Minnesota is 28.4% lower than the national baseline ($231,280) 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 $5M – $10M nonprofits, median CEO compensation represents 2% of total organizational operating expenses. The middle 50% of peer institutions allocate between 2% and 3% 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.