Compensation Solutions for nonprofits

We bring unparalleled expertise and knowledge and problem solving skills to help nonprofits solve compensation issues.

Nonprofits need good people, fairly paid.

We design programs to attract and reward high-performing teams, while being reasonable in the eyes of donors and regulators.

We encourage transparency in all our work, preferring clear and open communications to arcane formulas.

Recognizing our clients’ budget constraints, we price our services to ensure that their value exceeds their cost.

We believe that the only measure of our success is the level of our clients’ satisfaction.

Our Services

Executive Pay

Determining Competitive Compensation

Reasonableness Opinions

Complying with Intermediate Sanctions

Pay Philosophy

Defining Compensation Strategies

Incentive Compensation

Evaluating Variable Pay

Salary Structures

Developing Pay Grade Systems

Expert Witness

Testimony on Pay Issues

Who We Serve

We're proud to help our clients serve their communities. 

Thank you for your important contribution in helping the Board fulfill one of its most critical functions. Our committee is in your debt.

Trustee, international child advocacy ministry

I was pleased with the resolution of the contractual issues attributable, in no small measure, to your sagacious and practical advice.

Chief Executive, major sports nonprofit

Again, thanks for all your help. Not only was your expertise invaluable but you were a great help in keeping things moving along smoothly. You made our job much, much easier.

Compensation Committee Chair, leading conservation organization

Thanks again for your outstanding work. It elegantly solved a long-standing issue.

Compensation Committee Chair, animal welfare nonprofit

Our Team

Pete Smith

Founding Partner

The former chief executive of Watson Wyatt Worldwide (now Willis Towers Watson), Pete Smith has significant experience in all sectors. Mr. Smith now focuses on executive  consulting services for nonprofit clients.

Rebecca Pilot

President & CEO

A human resources professional with over twenty years of experience in consulting to private and nonprofit organizations, Rebecca Pilot is the President and Chief Executive Officer of SmithPilot.

Insights

The articles below are representative of our thinking regarding important executive compensation issues and may be helpful in addressing specific matters in your organization.

When it hits the fan: advice for nonprofits on negative compensation publicity

What to do if your executive compensation becomes a public issue...

The Board’s Role in Setting Nonprofit Compensation Levels

Common governance mistakes, and how to avoid them...

How Much Is Too Much? Assessing Leadership Pay in Nonprofits

Thoughts on setting a reasonable and competitive level of executive pay...




Our Clients

  • American Academy of Facial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Alexandria, VA
  • American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy, Reston, VA
  • American Ireland Fund, Boston, MA
  • Annual Reviews, Palo Alto, CA
  • Arbor Day Foundation, Lincoln, NE
  • Archdiocese of Denver, CO
  • Association for Talent Development, Washington, DC
  • Association of Private Pension and Welfare Plans, Alexandria, VA
  • Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, Washington, DC
  • Attorney General of Colorado
  • Attorney General of Massachusetts
  • Augustine Institute, Greenwood Village, CO
  • Austin Tenants Council, Austin, TX
  • Baptist Standard Publishing, San Antonio, TX
  • Biblica, Colorado Springs, CO
  • Biella Foundation, Kirkland, WA
  • Blackwater Regional Library, Courtland, VA
  • Bohreer & Zucker, LLP, Houston, TX
  • Brentwood School, Los Angeles, CA
  • Brooklyn Law School, Brooklyn, NY
  • Burness Communications, Bethesda, MD
  • Car Donation Foundation, St. Louis Park, MN
  • Career Education Colleges and Universities, Washington, DC
  • Carleton College, Carleton, MN
  • Casey Family Programs, Seattle, WA
  • Catholic Leadership Institute, Wayne, PA
  • Center for Building Hope, Sarasota, FL
  • Center for Economic Progress, Chicago, IL
  • Center for Financial Services Innovation, Chicago, IL
  • Center for Humans and Nature, Chicago, IL
  • Center for Law & Social Policy, Washington, DC
  • Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Washington, DC
  • Child Protection Center, Sarasota, FL
  • Clarendon Foundation, Murray, UT
  • Coca Cola Scholars Foundation, Atlanta, GA
  • Commission on Presidential Debates, Washington, DC
  • Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, Detroit, MI
  • Community Health Centers Alliance, St. Petersburg, FL
  • Community House, Birmingham, MI
  • Community Housing Partners, Christiansburg, VA
  • Community Partners, Los Angeles, CA
  • Connecticut Counseling Centers, Danbury, CT
  • Cook & Watkins PLC, Georgetown, KY
  • Copenhagen Consensus Center, Lowell, MA
  • Critical Exposure, Washington, DC
  • Danville Regional Foundation, Danville, VA
  • David Briglia LLC, Bethesda, MD
  • Disability Rights California, Sacramento, CA
  • Earth Innovation Institute, San Francisco, CA
  • Eastland Manor Inc., Columbus, OH
  • Edward P. Evans Foundation, Casanova, VA
  • Everthrive Illinois, Chicago, IL
  • Family Services, Poughkeepsie, NY
  • FinRegLab, Washington, DC
  • Foundations for Laity Renewal, Kerrville, TX
  • Georgetown Health Foundation, Georgetown, TX
  • Girl Scout Council of the National Capital, Washington, DC
  • Gluten Intolerance Group, Auburn, WA
  • Greater Boston Food Bank, Boston, MA
  • Green Building Initiative, Washington, DC
  • Group Health Foundation, Seattle, WA
  • H.E. Butt Foundation, Kerrville, TX
  • Hantzes and Associates, McLean, VA
  • Holton Arms School, Potomac, MD
  • Housing Assistance Council, Washington, DC
  • Hudson Square Connection, New York, NY
  • Identity, Gaithersburg, MD
  • Independent Sector, Washington, DC
  • Initiatives for Medicines Access and Knowledge, Lewes, DE
  • InterExchange, New York, NY
  • International Health Care Services, Golden Valley, MN
  • Interstate Commission on the Potomac River Basin, Rockville, MD
  • Ireland Fund, New York, NY
  • Irish Arts Center, New York, NY
  • Joan Mitchell Foundation, New York, NY
  • King Low Heywood Thomas School, Stamford, CT
  • KnowledgeWorks, Cincinnati, OH
  • Las Vegas Monorail, Las Vegas, NV
  • League of Conservation Voters, Washington, DC
  • Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, San Francisco, CA
  • Manatee County Rural Health System, Parrish, FL
  • McCrory Foundation, Ardmore, OK
  • MDC, Inc., Chapel Hill, NC
  • MedicAlert Foundation, Saluda, CA
  • Melanoma Research Foundation, Washington, DC
  • Merola Opera Program, San Francisco, CA
  • Miller & Chevalier Chartered, Washington, DC
  • Mohegan Capital LLC, Denver, CO
  • Mosaic, Omaha, NE
  • My Brother’s Keepers Alliance, Washington DC
  • National 4-H Council, Bethesda, MD
  • National Hot Rod Association, Glendale, CA
  • National Senior Campuses, Baltimore, MD
  • National Winter Sports Foundation, Vernon, NJ
  • New York Community Trust, New York, NY
  • New York Public Radio, New York, NY
  • NYC & Company, New York, NY
  • O’Shaughnessy-Hurst Memorial Foundation, Leesburg, VA
  • Peninsula Humane Society, San Mateo, CA
  • Physicians Assistants Education Association, Alexandria, VA
  • Planned Parenthood of Metropolitan Washington, Washington, DC
  • Prairie View A&M Foundation, Houston, TX
  • Pulmonary Hypertension Association, Silver Spring, MD
  • Pyxera Global Inc., Washington, DC
  • Raam Raj Foundation, Boston, MA
  • REAL School Gardens, Washington, DC
  • San Antonio Livestock Exposition, San Antonio, TX
  • Sandy Hook Promise, Newtown, CT
  • Semiconductor Industry Association, Washington, DC
  • Simply Secure, Mountain View, CA
  • Smart Electric Power Association, Washington, DC
  • Southeast Alabama Medical Center, Dothan, AL
  • St. Clement’s Parish, Honolulu, HI
  • Summit Foundation, Washington, DC
  • The ARC of the US, Washington, DC
  • Tomball Regional Health Foundation, Tomball, TX
  • US Endowment for Forests and Communities, Greenville, SC
  • US Ireland Alliance, Arlington, VA
  • US Tour Operators Association, New York, NY
  • Valley Foundation, San Jose, CA
  • Walt Disney Family Museum, San Francisco, CA
  • Washington Jesuit Academy, Washington, DC
  • Whiteford, Taylor & Preston LLP, Washington, DC
  • Windward School, Los Angeles, CA
  • Wine Institute, Washington, DC
  • With Honor, Washington, DC
  • Year Up, Boston, MA
  • YMCA of Greater New York, NY
  • YMCA of Hampton Roads, VA

Let's Talk.

We would be glad to discuss whether our services meet your needs.

Please email us info@smithpilot.com and let us know what kind of services you are seeking and how best to contact you.

Post Office Box 39101

Washington, DC 20016