I'm inclined to agree with you, but I think there must be something missing here. Are they receiving some other form of compensation? How much does the median PETA employee make? More than that, I hope!
> Thirty-seven percent of PETA’s dedicated staff earn between $30,000 and $44,999, including President Ingrid Newkirk, who made $31,285 during the fiscal year ending July 31, 2016. Seven percent of PETA’s dedicated staff only earn between $16,000 and $29,999, and the remaining 56 percent make more than $45,000 per year. Most staff members give a portion of their earnings back to PETA’s lifesaving programs through payroll deductions.
https://www.peta.org/misc/how-much-money-does-ingrid-newkirk...
> the remaining 56 percent make more than $45,000 per year
So the median is more than $45k. I would say the difference between $31k and $45k is pretty significant, at least depending on where you live. In San Francisco that would likely not be enough for someone to live comfortably alone.
[1] https://paddockpost.com/2018/02/03/executive-salaries-at-goo...
[2] https://www.peta.org/misc/how-much-money-does-ingrid-newkirk...
[3] https://www.torproject.org/static/findoc/2017-TorProject-For...