AMC Executive Director pay

[hikerfast]

If we are paying 300g's to a guy who is increasing the revenue of the AMC by millions of dollars a year(?), it is worth it, and his pay is what it 'costs' to get a ceo that is this valuable. These things are hard to measure for most people. One post mentioned how the amc was in the red prior to having Mr. Falender run things. It sounds like maybe the 300g a year was a bargain. I'll submit this: when you get to high income levels, you usually are paying high taxes, and what is he doing with the rest of his money after property costs and his other bills and educating his kids(if he has any)? I would would not be surprised to learn, as we have so many other times, that he is a generous person who gives a majority of his money to various charities. If he makes 300g per year, say he takes home 150g. Then he spends 100g of that on his life, then saves some, then spends 25g a year(say 5 g a year for red cross, pan mass challenge, american diabetes association, american cancer society, and his alma mater).
I don't know the answer to all these questions, but I will repeat my point that often we learn that these people are giving away a lot, and sometimes a vast majority, of their money and or disposable income.

 

[arghman]

If we are paying 300g's to a guy who is increasing the revenue of the AMC by millions of dollars a year(?), it is worth it, and his pay is what it 'costs' to get a ceo that is this valuable.

That's not the only measure of an organization or of its president.

With regards to the financial state of AMC, I have no doubt that their fundraising has brought in a lot of money, so kudos to Andy Falender in his leadership for that aspect of the Club. But I have misgivings both about AMC's fundraising tactics, and its financial strategy.

W/r/t tactics: AMC Outdoors magazine has turned into one of the worst fluff rags I've ever read; there are relentless attempts at advertising droning on and on about going to huts and Maine Wilderness camps, in full-page ads, in mentions in the President's column, and in articles -- far more self-advertising than in any other magazine (profit or non-profit) I have ever read. (The only reason I read the magazine anymore is for the trips, and the maximum lengths of the trip listings got cut a few years ago, despite these full-page ads.) I'm tired of getting fundraising cards in a pseudo-handwritten font meant to seem like they were personally written by My Friend Andy. And I'm tired of getting a renewal notice where the first option is to sneakily get me to contribute more than the normal renewal fee. All of this leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

W/r/t financial strategy: it seems like the club has been overextending itself in recent years, what with the Highland Center and the multiple purchases of camps in the "Maine Wilderness" region. The fact that the outdoor program centers are being operated at a slight net loss (http://www.outdoors.org/about/financial-information.cfm : $9.16m revenue, $9.47m expenses in 2010, $8.75m revenue, $9.49m expenses in 2009) while being expensive makes me wonder if the huts + other camps could be run more effectively. The fundraising expenses seem kind of high, too ($1.25m expenses vs. $5.55m contributions = 22.5%; SPNHF's report for 2010 shows $396k / $2683k = 14.8%, with 2009 and 2008 being under 10% fundraising expenses/revenues).

So I wouldn't give AMC or Mr. Falender an A, even just considering the financial picture. It's not a lousy picture, but they've got a lot of room for improvement, IMHO. How much of this is done by the president vs. the board vs. staff? I don't know, but the president's the one who's supposed to be leading in a way that his organization approves.

As far as the non-financial aspects of AMC, I would like to think there will be some improvement in those areas, too.

 

[Bob]

I thought they were an example most could relate to because

B) Teachers could make more money in the for-profit private sector

Tim

that's pretty funny!

Teachers in private schools don't make anywhere near what public school teachers do.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

that's pretty funny!

Teachers in private schools don't make anywhere near what public school teachers do.

I did not say that they did. Private sector includes fields other than private schools. As an example, when I graduated college, my starting salary as as software engineer was more than my dad as a public high school teacher after 25 years.

Tim