C3 Nonprofit Consulting Group surveys are designed to deliver actionable insights and practical data for nonprofit organizations.
Current survey offerings include:
- Foundation Board Practices Survey
- Endowment and Foundation Investment Staff Compensation Survey
- Annual Nonprofit Salary Planning Survey
- Pulse surveys on trending topics in the nonprofit environment
- Recent topics include Executive Relocation Benefits and Remote Work.
- Custom Nonprofit Surveys
- Large YMCA Executive Compensation Survey
- Association of Independent Research Institutes (AIRI) Compensation and Benefits Survey
- Custom CEO, executive team, and board performance evaluations
Interested in Conducting a Survey for Your Nonprofit Organization?
C3 can help you design and deliver a survey that provides credible, actionable insights while ensuring a smooth experience from launch through final reporting.
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Participation Information
Participation in our surveys is made easy through our online data collection tool, which provides a secure, encrypted portal for data submission. Participants receive exclusive, discounted pricing on valuable data and reports and early access to survey results.
ParticipateThe results are in! Get your copy of the 2026 survey report.
PurchasePlease note: C3 Nonprofit Consulting Group is a division of SullivanCotter. This survey will be administered and sold by SullivanCotter.
Survey Samples
Download a sample of the 2025 survey report.
Reduced Pricing for Participants
2026 Survey Participants:
$1,700
2026 Early Submission Discount:
$300 off participant price
Nonparticipants:
$6,800
Key Dates
Participation opens:
January 6, 2026
Deadline for early submission discount:
January 30, 2026
Deadline for participation:
February 20, 2026
Benchmarks publication:
May 2026
Current status:
Closed for participation
Questions?
If you have any questions about the survey, please contact our Survey Team by phone at 888.739.7039 or by email at surveys@sullivancotter.com.
Foundation Board Practices Survey
Understanding Board Governance, Demographics, and Compensation
This inaugural survey is designed to establish industry standards that will strengthen the philanthropic sector by providing comprehensive insight into board composition and structure, governance best practices, member demographics, time commitment, board effectiveness, compensation program prevalence, value and design, and more.
Survey Highlights
- Data from over 60 private and community foundations
- Current and projected costs of board compensation
- Detailed board structure insights including term limits, committees, expertise requirements and time commitment.
- Insight into key board compensation components such as role-specific retainer, meeting fees, matching and discretionary grants program participation, and more.
Participation Timeline
Survey Launch
September 25, 2025
Submission Deadline
October 31, 2025
Results Published
December 2025
Interested in learning more? We would love to hear from you!
Contact us
Latest Posts
Stay updated with our recent articles and insights.
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VIDEO | Pay Transparency: The Question Leaders Should Be Asking
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Foundation Financial Officers Group | 2026 Fall Summit
We’ll be presenting a session entitled Compensation Trends and Financial Stewardship: What Foundation CFOs Need to Know.
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Virtual Meetup | Strengthening Manager Effectiveness and Accountability
Join fellow foundation HR leaders to exchange practical strategies for setting clear expectations, building manager capability, and fostering consistent accountability across the organization.
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Workshop | AI in HR: From Experimentation to Strategy
Join C3, the Ford Foundation, and peer foundation HR leaders to explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the practice of human resources.
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Save the Date | 2027 Foundation HR Alliance Summit
Mark your calendars for our popular annual event! Join foundation people leaders from across the country for an opportunity to connect, share insights, and explore the talent and culture topics that matter most to our sector.
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2026 Association of Independent Research Institutes (AIRI) Annual Meeting
Bringing together leading institutional research leaders from across the country for education, networking, and collaboration!
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FAOG for Community Foundations | 2026 Annual Conference
We’ll be presenting a session entitled Beyond Benchmarking: Compensation Strategies for a Changing Foundation Workforce.
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VIDEO | The Return of Performance Awards
Thoughtful performance rewards can be a powerful way to connect daily work to the broader impact your organization is striving to achieve.
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