Compensation Philosphy and Benefits

Benefits Overview


  • Medical Insurance: The Hunger Center offers employees access to a CareFirst BlueChoice Advantage POS Platinum plan, offered through DC HealthLink. The Hunger Center pays 82% of the age-rated employee premium. New employees are eligible to join the first of the month following or coinciding with date of hire.
  • Dental Insurance: BlueDental Plus PPO coverage provided by CareFirst Blue CrossBlue Shield. 100% of the premium is paid by the Hunger Center.
  • 401(k) Plan: The Hunger Center offers a 401(k) plan with a menu of investment options, and an employer match of up to 4%. Employees are eligible to participate in the 401(k) upon hire; There is no waiting period.
  • Fitness: Employees have free access to an on-site fitness center, locker room with showers, and locked bike room.
  • Hybrid Work Environment: The Hunger Center supports a hybrid work environment. (As of March 2022 employees are working together in the office Tuesdays of each week, and have the option to work from home or the office for the remainder of the week.)
  • Leave and Holidays:
    • New employees receive fifteen days of vacation, ten days of health & wellness time, and three days of personal leave/floating holidays.
    • The Hunger Center observes thirteen paid holidays per calendar year.
    • In addition, the Hunger Center is closed the week between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
    • Other leave programs include Bereavement Leave (1-4 days) and Parental Leave (30 days).
  • Basic Employee Life Insurance: Coverage of $50,000 provided by The Hartford. 100% of the premium is paid by the Hunger Center. (However, employees also have the option to voluntarily elect additional coverage, or coverage for a spouse or child.)
  • Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurance: Offered through The Hartford, 100% of the premium is paid by the Hunger Center.
  • Employee Assistance Programs: Offered through AllOne Health, at no cost to employees, the confidential EAP provides work/life resources and referrals (e.g., legal/financial, child care, pet care, housing services, education, elder and adult care) and access to counseling to help address personal, work or life stressors. Similar benefits are also provided through The Hartford, as part of the Life Insurance coverage.
  • Flexible Spending Accounts: This pre-tax benefit option allows eligible employees to set aside specified amounts from their paychecks to pay for unreimbursed medical, dental and dependent care expenses. New employees are eligible to participate 6 months following their hire.
  • Vision Insurance: This voluntary BlueVision plan, paid by the employee, is provided through CareFirst.
  • Remote Work Support: Employees receive a $110/month subsidy to support the cost of high-speed home internet service, necessary for remote work since March 2020. In addition, limited reimbursement is available for pre-approved work-at-home essentials, such as a desk or desk chair.
  • Focus Fridays: Fridays are Focus Days at the Hunger Center, where we dedicate time to work or learning that requires deep focus. We do not schedule any internal meetings on Fridays, limit checking email to once or twice a day, and only respond to urgent emails.
  • Workers Compensation: This program provides benefits for job related injuries or illness. The Hunger Center pays 100% of the premium.

Last updated June 2022

Our Compensation Philosophy & Approach


The Congressional Hunger Center is committed to providing a fair and competitive staff compensation program that will attract, retain and reward high-performing employees at all levels of the organization. The Hunger Center provides a total staff compensation package tied to the attainment of individual and group results and the achievement of organizational goals. Our compensation philosophy and approach is driven by our organizational values and commitment to equity, transparency, and well-being.
Primary principles that guide our staff compensation program:

1) Pay what a job is worth. We participate in annual salary surveys and review market data for all positions within the organization.

2) Pay competitively. When reviewing salaries, we compare ourselves to nonprofit organizations in the DC metropolitan area with annual budgets of up to $10 million even though we are an organization whose annual budget is less than $5 million. We aim to pay our employees within plus or minus 5% from the midpoint of the market salary range for their position. We consider the years of relevant experience an employee brings to the position when establishing the starting salary for a new hire. We make market adjustments as needed to ensure our competitiveness.

3) Reward performance (individual and group). We reward performance through salary increases, bonuses, and other incentives. Extraordinary performance is further rewarded at a level that signifies the organization’s appreciation of the employees’ contributions.

4) Pursue transparency. We provide managers, employees, and prospective employees with access to job-related content, pay guidelines, and market salary information. We publish the minimum starting salary for any open positions when hiring. However, managers and supervisors are mindful that information about individual employee pay levels and pay decisions are sensitive and private.

5) Promote internal equity. Our career levels and salary information aim to provide guidelines that ensure similar jobs are paid equitably across the organization. Internal equity considerations are always considered when making compensation decisions. We annually share with staff our average ratios to minimum and base salaries.

6) Provide benefits that foster employee wellbeing. Our leave policies, health coverage, and the design of our 401k program are designed to promote equity and foster employee wellbeing.

7) Enable career growth. To the degree possible as a small nonprofit, we encourage the career growth of all employees. Promotions are awarded when employees apply for a job opening and move to a higher grade through a competitive interview process and/or based on organizational need. Promotional increases generally result in an employee’s pay adjustment at the time of promotion. Through step promotions, we recognize mastery of employee’s current positions. We invest both time and financial resources in preparing employees for the next level of their careers, recognizing that step may take place within the Hunger Center or through an external opportunity.

Last updated November 2020