The use and consequences of perquisite types in nonprofit organizations

Abstract We document perquisite use in the nonprofit sector, the determinants of that use, and the ensuing consequences. Relative to the for-profit sector, the nonprofit sector is characterized by a lack of residual ownership rights and less detailed disclosure requirements, factors that have the potential to influence this piece of the compensation package. Using a sample of over 126,000 organization-year observations from 2008 to 2018, we document that approximately 24% of organizations report providing one or more of their executives with perquisites. We find that perks are more likely in larger nonprofits with excess endowments and fewer governance policies, and less likely at organizations with more outside monitors. We also find that perk disclosure has a negative impact on future donations. However, when we decompose our analysis by type of perk, we find evidence that some perks have a positive effect on future donations. Our results are robust to a variety of alternative formulations and provide useful insights for nonprofit regulators, boards, and donors.