Repair 22: How to Ask for a Raise in Your Role As Executive Director
Framing compensation as sustainability, not ego
The Problem
Your responsibilities have grown.
Your expectations have grown.
Your compensation has not.
You think about asking for a raise, then hesitate.
You worry it will seem selfish, poorly timed, or unrealistic.
So you keep going… and resentment slowly builds.
Why This Keeps Happening
Raises feel hard to ask for in downtown work because:
Roles evolve faster than job descriptions
Funding feels fragile
Passion is expected to fill gaps
No one talks openly about compensation
The work is seen as “community service”
When compensation is treated as uncomfortable, sustainability suffers.
The Fix
A raise is not a reward. It is a tool for keeping the work stable.
Here is how to approach it clearly and professionally.
Step 1: Tie the Ask to the Role, Not the Person
This is not about you working harder. It is about the role changing.
Document:
What the role used to include
What it includes now
What responsibility has expanded
Compensation should match scope.
Step 2: Translate Your Work Into Risk and Value
Decision-makers respond to clarity.
Explain:
What problems you prevent
What continuity you provide
What would stall or break without the role
This is about protecting investment, not personal need.
Step 3: Ask for Sustainability, Not Applause
Frame the conversation around stability.
Use language like:
“This role has become central to ___.”
“To keep this work sustainable, compensation needs to reflect ___.”
“This adjustment supports consistency, not expansion.”
Calm framing builds trust.
Step 4: Know What You Will Do If the Answer Is No
Clarity works both ways.
Before the conversation, decide:
What changes if the answer is no
What you can realistically continue carrying
What boundaries need to shift
This protects you regardless of the outcome.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Apologizing for asking
Framing the ask emotionally instead of structurally
Waiting until burnout forces the issue
Treating a no as personal rejection
Compensation conversations are part of healthy organizations.
What to Do This Week
Prepare with this checklist:
⬜ Update your role description as it actually exists
⬜ List three outcomes your work protects
⬜ Identify a reasonable adjustment range
⬜ Practice the conversation out loud
⬜ Decide your next step either way
Preparation reduces anxiety.
How We Help
This is often addressed through Professional Coaching and Support during our Organizational Capacity Building sessions, helping practitioners prepare for compensation conversations with clarity, confidence, and realistic expectations.
Keep Going
This post is part of The Downtown Repair Manual, a field guide to fixing common downtown problems one issue at a time.
Sustainable work requires sustainable pay.