Compassion International Reviews

There is a huge disconnect between those who are keeping the organization running (mid-level management and below) and the directors, lead directors, senior directors, executive directors, vice-presidents, and president. (Do you get the picture with all those levels of upper management?) If sponsors and donors knew what was actually going on with their donations they would be mortified. The vast majority of the sponsors will be surprised to learn that recent programmatic changes mean they have signed up to sponsor their Compassion "child" well into their young adult years. Communication at all levels is dishonest and patronizing. If you try to call out bad behavior or practices you will become a target and eventually forced out of the organization. But they'll do it in such a way as to make it a "performance issue" with you. The Gallup awards they have been awarded are a farce...Compassion executives have been manipulating the results for years through fear tactics that force positive reviews.

CI is a horrible employer. Under the Sr Leadership team, is it an incredibly professionally and emotionally immature environment. It's not the changes that are so troubling to us as employees - we would love to see CI flourish. Unfortunately, the leadership is behaving in ways that are a 50's style of management...a vindictive, boys club mentality. Gallup polls of employees are disregarded and excuses are made for the backsliding results every year, and employees are made to feel that they are being "childish" for expressing deep and sincere thoughts and feedback. CI has a high rating with Charity Navigator - only because CI knows how to hide the private donations that are used in very unethical and immoral ways. Any decent accountant can see right through the CFO's manipulation of funds that should be being spent for the good of the children we support - not as tools to gain power and to silence the employees that are courageous enough to speak up. It's a very hostile environment that starts at the very top, and is encouraged through every level of leadership. Only those that are strong enough leaders to stand up to it deserve any respect at this point. But they will eventually be removed from the organization. This environment of deep fear is what keeps the rest of us quiet - while feeling worthless. Honestly, though, the higher than usual pay, and cadillac package of benefits I receive makes it hard to leave. I feel guilty about the incredible pay and the amazing benefits since I receive them on the backs of the donors, but I am only a small kernel of rice trying to find the way to fix things. Unfortunately, my hope that it's going to get better is about gone.