Compare · CauseComp vs. RoundPaper
CauseComp vs. RoundPaper: which fits your organization?
This page sets out what CauseComp offers and how you can check each point for yourself: executive and workforce benchmarks, benchmarks you can project to any date you choose, a one-time Board Report option ($349), and a path to a compensation consultant when you need one. For what RoundPaper offers today and at what price, see roundpaper.com.
What does CauseComp cover?
CauseComp covers both sides of the org chart: the Executive product (modeled from Form 990 compensation records from a corpus of 171,000+ filing 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?
IRS Form 990 filings are always 18 to 30 months old by the time they're public, no matter how recently they were pulled, so any benchmark built from them reflects an earlier market.
CauseComp shows the data vintage on every benchmark, so a compensation committee can see how current the figures behind a recommendation are.
What does CauseComp cost?
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 (executive and workforce benchmarks), and Professional at $996/year adding §4958 comparables data, board-ready PDFs, multi-role comparison and the Claude connector. Current prices are always on the pricing page.
CauseComp at a glance
| CauseComp | Where to check | |
|---|---|---|
| Executive benchmarks (IRS Form 990) | Yes, modeled to budget, sector, geography | Executive product |
| Workforce benchmarks | Yes, 850+ roles, ~390 metros (BLS) | Workforce product |
| Data currency | Executive: IRS Form 990 filings · Workforce: BLS wage data. Data vintage shown on every benchmark. | Methodology |
| §4958 comparability support | Yes, Professional: comparables sets + board-ready PDF | Pricing |
| Pricing model | $349 one-time Board Report, or a subscription (Essential or Professional) | Pricing |
| How the figures are built | Modeled, with the methodology in the open | Methodology |
| Escalation to a compensation consultant | Yes, built by RB Consulting Services; Professional subscription credited toward an engagement | Pricing |
When might a board also look at RoundPaper?
Comparability determinations often rest on more than one independent source, so some boards will reasonably use CauseComp alongside another provider. Check roundpaper.com for what RoundPaper offers today and at what price; this page does not state either.
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 workforce salary ranges, when the board wants to explore scenarios interactively, when you want to see the data vintage behind every figure, and when you want a path to a compensation consultant if the situation turns complex, such as an IRS inquiry, a multi-entity structure or a board dispute.
Start with CauseComp
Benchmark your whole org, executive and workforce, with board-ready documentation. One-time Board Report from $349, or Professional at $996/yr.
Use more than one source
The reasonableness process rests on multiple independent sources. Many boards pair CauseComp's model, projected to a date you choose, with a one-off study for a single executive.
Frequently asked questions
Do CauseComp and RoundPaper use the same data?
CauseComp starts from IRS Form 990 filings and models the data to your budget size, sector, and location; its Workforce product adds BLS OEWS/ECEC wage data for workforce roles. This page does not describe RoundPaper's data; see roundpaper.com.
Can CauseComp's data be used as IRS §4958 comparability data?
CauseComp's data can serve as comparability data; it does not grant 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.
What does CauseComp's one-time Board Report include?
One executive position, with a full comparables set and a board-ready PDF, for $349 one time. It is credited toward a Professional subscription within 90 days.
Is CauseComp legal advice?
No. CauseComp provides 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.
When this page was revised on 21 September 2026, RoundPaper's website could not be read with an ordinary request, so this page does not describe RoundPaper's products, prices or terms. See roundpaper.com for its current offer. CauseComp provides data and documentation to support board deliberations, not legal advice. Not affiliated with RoundPaper.