Compare · CauseComp vs. RoundPaper
CauseComp vs. RoundPaper: which fits your organization?
CauseComp and RoundPaper both build nonprofit executive compensation benchmarks from IRS Form 990 filings, and both support the §4958 comparability-data requirement. The core difference: RoundPaper sells one-time, per-executive studies assembled on request ($49–$999 each); CauseComp is an interactive platform covering your executives and your whole staff, with benchmarks projected to the current market — plus a one-time Board Report option ($349) and a path to a real compensation consultant when you need one.
If you need one executive benchmarked once, both work. If compensation questions recur — ED reviews, budget season, offer letters, 990 time — a subscription that answers all of them costs less than the second one-off study.
What does each product cover?
RoundPaper's reports and studies cover executive compensation only, one executive per purchase (additional executives 10% off each). There is no product for staff-level roles.
CauseComp covers both sides of the org chart: the Executive product (modeled from 610,000+ Schedule J records across 110,000+ organizations) and the Workforce product (850+ roles across ~390 metros from BLS data, with a nonprofit/private-sector toggle). One Professional subscription benchmarks the CEO, the CFO, and the development associate you're hiring next month.
How current is the data?
This is the difference boards should understand. Both products start from IRS Form 990 filings — and 990 filings are always 18–30 months old by the time they're public, no matter how recently they were pulled. RoundPaper assembles each study from the newest filings in its database; the underlying pay data still reflects the market of one to two years ago.
CauseComp models the same filings and then projects them to the current year using the BLS Employment Cost Index and current job-posting signals. Every benchmark shows its data vintage. When a compensation committee asks "what is reasonable today," the projection is the answer to that question — not last cycle's filings.
What does each cost?
RoundPaper: Snapshot $49 and Snapshot+ $99 (data-only, not for Safe Harbor use); Benchmark $249; Compliance $499; Comprehensive $999. Each covers one executive, one time, delivered within one business day, paid after delivery. Benchmarking a three-person C-suite at the Compliance tier runs roughly $1,400, and repeating it next year costs the same again.
CauseComp: a one-time Board Report at $349 (one position, board-ready PDF with comparables set — credited toward Professional within 90 days), Essential at $49/month billed annually (workforce benchmarking), and Professional at $996/year with unlimited board-ready PDFs, §4958 comparables sets, and every role in the organization — executive and staff — all year.
Comparison at a glance
| CauseComp | RoundPaper | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive benchmarks (990 Schedule J) | Yes — modeled to budget, sector, geography | Yes — peer-group studies |
| Staff/workforce benchmarks | Yes — 850+ roles, ~390 metros (BLS) | No |
| Data currency | Projected to current year (ECI + posting signals), vintage shown | Latest available filings (unadjusted 990 data) |
| §4958 comparability support | Yes — comparables sets + board-ready PDF | Yes — Compliance and Comprehensive tiers |
| Delivery | Self-serve, immediate; unlimited under subscription | One business day per study |
| Pricing model | $349 one-time or $996/yr unlimited (Professional) | $49–$999 per executive, per study |
| Human review | Modeled + methodology in the open; consultant on call | Hand-reviewed at study tiers |
| Escalation to a compensation consultant | Yes — built by RB Consulting Services; subscription credited toward an engagement | No |
When is RoundPaper the right choice?
Honestly: if you want a single, human-assembled study document for one executive, once, and you prefer a service you don't log into, RoundPaper's Compliance tier is a credible option at $499. The IRS's own guidance — and every practitioner — recommends comparability determinations rest on multiple independent sources, so some boards will reasonably use both. And to their credit, RoundPaper's underlying data-explorer platform is free to use — including a free single-peer comparison — so it's a low-cost place to start a first look before any paid study.
When is CauseComp the right choice?
Choose CauseComp when compensation questions don't stop at one executive or one moment: when you're setting the ED's pay and building staff salary ranges, when you want benchmarks reflecting today's market rather than filings from two cycles ago, when the board wants to explore scenarios interactively rather than wait on a request queue, and when you want a licensed path to an actual compensation consultant if the situation turns complex — an IRS inquiry, a multi-entity structure, a board dispute.
Start with CauseComp
Benchmark your whole org — executive and staff — with current-year projections and board-ready documentation. One-time Board Report from $349, or Professional at $996/yr.
Use both
The reasonableness process rests on multiple independent sources. Many boards pair CauseComp's current-year model with a one-off study for a single executive.
Frequently asked questions
Do CauseComp and RoundPaper use the same data?
Both start from IRS Form 990 filings. CauseComp additionally models the data to your budget size, sector, and location and projects it to the current year using BLS Employment Cost Index data; CauseComp's Workforce product adds BLS OEWS/ECEC data RoundPaper doesn't offer.
Which one satisfies the IRS §4958 comparability-data requirement?
Either can serve as comparability data; neither grants the rebuttable presumption by itself. The presumption requires advance approval by an independent board body, appropriate comparability data, and contemporaneous documentation. Many advisors recommend multiple data sources — CauseComp and RoundPaper can both be part of that set.
Is CauseComp's one-time option comparable to RoundPaper's studies?
The CauseComp Board Report ($349) covers one executive position with a full comparables set and board-ready PDF, and is credited toward a Professional subscription within 90 days. It sits between RoundPaper's Benchmark ($249) and Compliance ($499) tiers, with the current-year projection included.
Neither of these is legal advice, right?
Correct. Both products provide data and documentation to support board deliberations. Organizations should consult counsel on §4958 process questions.
See where you land. View a sample benchmark, compare the tiers, or talk it through — even if the right answer is the one-time report and not a subscription.
RoundPaper facts current as of July 2026; verify current pricing at roundpaper.com before relying on this page. CauseComp provides data and documentation to support board deliberations — not legal advice. Not affiliated with RoundPaper.