NFP CEO Won’t Have to Raise Her Own Salary
19 February 2013 at 9:47 am
 Sarah Hardy |
Melbourne-based meditation Not for Profit Smiling Mind has appointment its first Chief Executive, Sarah Hardy without the controversial stipulation that she raise the funds for her salary for the first year.
Smiling Mind originally advertised the role of chief executive in November last year.
A key component of the job description was for the successful applicant to raise his or her own salary for the first year.
However, Hardy told Pro Bono Australia that in taking on the role she had “refused” to undertake the task of raising funds for her salary saying that while it was important to work with donors, it was more important to keep the work of fundraising separate from the role of CEO.
Hardy has over 20 years’ experience in leadership and management positions in the Not for Profit and philanthropic sectors.
“My key objective will be to grow the organisation from a leadership and management perspective,” Hardy said. “Raising those funds are now not a primary KPI”.
Hardy said that while working with donors was important, it was more important to talk to the Australian community about the value of Smiling Minds.
“I didn’t want it to link to my individual gain,” she said. “I think it’s really important to keep that separate from the role.”
Hardy said that Smiling Mind eventually sought private donations and philanthropic grants to fund the role of CEO.
She said that there had been “some concern” from the sector about how she would undertake the job of raising her own salary had she gone ahead.
“There were definitely mixed reactions,” she said.
“There’s a changing nature in the sector about how things are done but we’re just not there yet.”
Smiling Mind was launched on October 2 last year.
Smiling Mind co-founders James Tutton and Jane Martino said that they believe Hardy, who was most recently program manager at The Myer Foundation and Sidney Myer Fund and previously at the Foundation for Young Australians, will be an asset to Smiling Mind.
“Her strong academic background and extensive experience with a broad cross-section of the Not for Profit sector across Australia will ensure Smiling Mind continues to build on the success the organisation has experienced to date,” they said.
Hardy said that she was looking forward to taking on the position.
“I am thrilled to be given the opportunity lead an organisation that demonstrates such impressive and much needed innovation in the area of young people's mental health”.
She will commence in the role in April.
