LW#1’s situation seems to be all too common in the non-profit world. While a lot of non-profits do important work, I’m really beginning to question whether a lot of them should exist. It’s noble to help others, but is it worth the cost of overworking employees and paying them less than a living wage? If the employees at a literacy organization are paid so little that they have to request help from the food bank across town, is the literacy organization actually making the world a better place?

I don’t have a problem with time limited underpayment when people know what they’re signing up for, such as service in the Peace Corps, but there’s support and a very good safety net build into Peace Corps service. No one in the Peace Corps starves or has unpaid medical bills, and Peace Corps alums can make decent salaries after their service is up.