Non-Profit Plan Selection Guide
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Retirement Plans that Reflect Your Mission
Your non-profit organization deserves a retirement plan that supports employees, protects fiduciaries, and aligns with your values. Fisher\SMB™ specializes in tailoring retirement plans for non-profit organizations, keeping your org on mission and your employees confident in their future.
Non-Profits Face Unique Challenges
Non-profit organizations operate differently from for-profit businesses—and their retirement plans should reflect that. Here are the four major areas where non-profits often struggle:
Plan Selection & Design
- Choosing the right plan type—401(k), 403(b), or 457/NQDC—isn’t always straightforward.
- Some non-profits stick with outdated plan designs that don’t leverage modern features like Roth options, student loan repayment programs, or extra contributions for long-tenured employees.
- Without a specialized non-profit retirement plan advisor, organizations risk missing opportunities to optimize benefits for their staff.
Cost & Transparency
- Legacy annuity-based platforms are still common in 403(b) plans for nonprofit organizations due to historical requirements.
- These platforms often come with high fees, layered costs, and low liquidity, eroding employee savings.
- Lack of transparency makes it hard for non-profit boards to evaluate the true costs and performance of their retirement plans.
Fiduciary Risk
- Board members and decision-makers are fiduciaries—and can be held personally liable for plan missteps.
- Many non-profits lack clear processes for monitoring investments, providers, and compliance.
- Without fiduciary education and support from a qualified non-profit retirement plan advisor, boards face unnecessary exposure to risk.
Talent Attraction & Retention
- Non-profits compete for talent in markets where salaries may lag behind the private sector.
- A well-designed 401(k) or 403(b) plan for non-profit organizations is often a key differentiator — but only if it’s properly communicated to employees.
- Employee education and engagement programs are critical to help staff understand and value their retirement plan benefits.
How Fisher\SMB Supports Non-Profits
At Fisher\SMB™, we understand non-profit organizations, and we know what matters most to you. As a dedicated non-profit retirement plan advisor, Fisher\SMB delivers specialized solutions across every dimension of your plan:
Custom Plan Design
We tailor retirement plans to your organization’s goals, no cookie-cutter templates. From Roth options to employer contributions, we help you build a plan that works for your people.
Transparent, Low-Cost Platforms
Say goodbye to annuity-based 403(b) plans for nonprofit organizations with opaque fees. We deliver open architecture platforms with clear pricing and no proprietary fund requirements.
Fiduciary Risk Management
Board members are fiduciaries and personally liable. As your non-profit retirement plan advisor, we provide ERISA 3(38) investment management and fiduciary education to help reduce risk and protect decision-makers.
Employee Education & Engagement
Your employees deserve non-profit retirement plans that come with real guidance. We offer personalized education and one-on-one support to help them retire with confidence.
Downloadable guide
3 Ways Your 403(b) Can Cost You Big
More than half of all 403(b) retirement plans are on an annuity platform, which is an outdated system that could be charging participants higher fees. By offering a retirement plan for your team that avoids high fees and offers meaningful support, you could help them to save potentially thousands of dollars over time. Download the 403(b) Plan Guide to learn more.
Your Non-Profit Retirement Questions—Answered
Making the right decisions for your organization’s retirement plan can feel complex. From plan types to fiduciary responsibilities, we’ve compiled answers to the most common questions non-profits ask—so you can move forward with confidence.
The core difference comes down to who can offer them. A 401(k) is available to any for-profit employer, while a 403(b) is reserved for non-profits, public schools, and qualifying government organizations. Both offer similar tax benefits and contribution limits, but 403(b) plans typically come with simpler compliance requirements, which can mean less administrative burden for eligible employers. For a full side-by-side comparison, see our article on the difference between a 401(k) and a 403(b) plan.
Work with an advisor who acts as an ERISA 3(38) fiduciary to delegate investment decisions and minimize liability.
While the regular payments you receive from an annuity are attractive to some investors, legacy annuity platforms often have higher fees, layered costs, and limited investment flexibility. We help transition to clean, transparent platforms.
Absolutely! We assist with the RFP process and provide templates to simplify vendor evaluation.
Learn More about
Non-Profit Retirement Plans
401(k) vs. 403(b) Plans for Non-Profits
Read this article to get answers to frequently asked questions around the differences between 403(b) and 401(k) plans for non-profits.
How Employees Benefit from Non-Annuity 403(b) Plans
See how a plan participant can benefit when a non-profit organization moves from an annuity based retirement plan to a non-annuity based 403(b) solution.
403(b) Plans for Non-Profit Organizations
Choose a retirement plan designed specifically for non-profits like schools, hospitals, charities, and churches. Visit our webpage to learn more.
Ready to Build a Better Retirement Plan?
One of our retirement specialists would love to talk to you about your company’s retirement plan needs.
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3 Ways Your 403(b) Can Cost You Big
Thank You
Click the button below to begin your download, please contact us if you have any403(b) Plan Guide questions.