How you budget for IT

I just read an excellent article on the Techcafeteria blog called "Compensating for Chaos" I was thrilled to read this - I've been saying much the same thing for years.

The basic idea that the rate you pay IT staff should not be based on what the other non-profits are paying, but on what the overall going rate for IT people of the caliber you need is. Yes, you can expect to pay a bit less - you hope to find people who are committed enough to the mission that they will sacrifice a bit - but even people with commitment can't be expected to take too much of a pay cut, or they won't stay put. Either that, or you are going to wind up with a poor IT staff.

Either alternative costs you real money, affects your operation or both. So, if you've been basing your salary decisions on the non-profit surveys, and are having issues with IT, it's time to revisit the issue of how you determine compensation. And if the issue is up for review anyway, do yourself and avoid this common mistake.