How to read the IRS 990 and understand Ethan's bonus plan

From the National Council, BSA website:

There are three primary elements included in an executive’s compensation, as reported on the BSA’s 990s, including annual compensation, deferred compensation and the retirement plan.

Deferred compensation:
Like many major youth-serving, not-for-profit-organizations, deferred compensation is used as an appropriate method for rewarding executives who achieve their performance goals. As a not-for- profit organization, the BSA’s volunteer executive compensation committee has chosen to utilize deferred compensation, in lieu of bonuses or stock options, that commonly would be offered in a for- profit company.

Under the BSA’s deferred compensation plan the organization contributes a percentage of an employee’s salary, which may be paid at a later date.

The BSA is a merit-based pay organization and each year the BSA’s executive compensation committee and national executive board set goals for its executives, evaluate their achievements and award deferred compensation accordingly. An executive’s goals might include a variety of objectives like making sure the organization is fiscally sound, ensuring a structure that provides the appropriate support to the BSA’s local councils, recruiting the right levels of volunteers who give leadership to the organization and providing overall management of the professional staff.

TruScouting Note:
Next time you see a board member ask them: Was Ethan Draddy's performance in 2009 really worth a full-time professional position? Because that is the amount of his pay increase (with bonus).