Should Non-Profit Boards Get Paid?

Last week, I learned that the board of Tampa General Hospital has voted to pay its board members. The 15-member board will be paid annual compensation ranging from $15,000 to $30,000, according to The Nonprofit Quarterly article, Tampa General Hospital Board Votes to Pay Itself. The board meets six times a year, and its members serve on committees and attend strategic retreats with hospital staff. Only one board member resigned as a result of the vote.

The question – is this common? The vast, indeed overwhelming majority, of board of director members of charitable non-profits are unpaid . . .