Work somewhere else - Anonymous employee Sama Employee Review

I'm so sorry you had this experience working at Sama. We are trying hard to improve. Some of the issues you raise are tough for all non-profits. Sama actually ranks above the 80th percentile for compensation in the non-profit sector, partly due to our tendency to recruit people from private-sector jobs who understand our challenges as a social business. We are required, as a 501(c)(3) non-profit, to keep our compensation in the same band as other non-profits, and the reality is that we'll never be able to compete, salary-wise with private companies. That holds true for the management team as well. (I paid myself $400 a month in the first year of starting Sama, and nobody holds any equity as we're a nonprofit.) That said, we've made every effort to make this a great place to work by adopting policies including unlimited sick days, a 401k matching program, a generous parental leave and vacation policy, and flexible working schedules. As far as our office, we have tried hard to keep our overhead costs low by finding the nicest space we could in a vibrant neighborhood close to public transportation, cafes, and beautiful public spaces. The crime is regrettable, but we also feel that it's important for us to keep these costs low to pass along as much value as we can to our beneficiaries.