I honestly feel really discouraged today.

I work as a therapist at a nonprofit agency in California. Over the past couple of years, management has repeatedly told us that the agency has been in a terrible financial situation because of funding issues, state budget changes, and uncertainty around behavioral health funding. Because of that, we were told there would be no raises.

Last year: no raise.

The year before: no raise.

This year, after two years of nothing, we finally got a 3% cost-of-living adjustment, which is about $2k raise in annual salary for me. They presented it like it was a generous gesture, but most of us weren’t exactly celebrating. After inflation, it honestly feels like we’ve effectively taken a pay cut over the last few years.

Then today I found out something that completely deflated me.

Apparently, while the agency was telling the rest of us there wasn’t enough money for raises, the finance director gave themselves about a $40,000 raise last year.

Maybe there are details I don’t know. Maybe there are reasons behind it. But from where I’m sitting, it’s incredibly hard not to feel demoralized.

It’s not even just about the money anymore. It’s the constant messaging of, “We value you. We appreciate everything you do. We’re all in this together,” while the people actually providing services are expected to absorb years of stagnant wages.

I became a therapist because I genuinely care about helping people. I never expected to get rich doing this. But it’s getting harder to stay motivated when leadership asks everyone else to sacrifice while rewarding themselves.

Has anyone else working in nonprofits or community mental health experienced something similar? How do you keep yourself from becoming cynical?

Originally posted by u/Important_Trade4526 on Reddit.

Top comment by u/comosedicewaterbed

Quit. Find an agency where you’ll be treated better. I would have been gone after the first year of no raise. They aren’t going to stop these practices unless there are consequences. TBH they probably won’t stop anyway, but you can put yourself in a better situation. Of course we all want to help, but this is a career. You have to put your own well being first.