[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ theme_builder_area=”post_content” _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” type=”4_4″ theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.20.2″ _module_preset=”default” theme_builder_area=”post_content” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n
Sam had reason to be worried. His nonprofit did not have a succession plan, nor had it been actively developing potential internal leaders. He knew the board should have planned for this eventuality, but they never seemed to have the time to put together a plan. Now he was stuck.<\/p>\n
Executive leadership is a critical component for the success of nonprofit organizations. An upcoming period of leadership transition is predicted as substantial numbers of baby-boomers approach retirement age. With nonprofit organizations growing in both size and number, an impending leadership deficit is a concern. Succession planning can prepare organizations for this imminent leadership challenge.<\/p>\n
Candid Learning<\/a>, a firm offering resources for nonprofits, explains that \u201cone of the most important responsibilities for nonprofit boards is selecting the organization’s next executive director. The search and transition can be complex, and both generally require careful planning, well before a planned – or unplanned – departure occurs.<\/p>\n \u201cThis process, also known as succession planning, includes developing your staff’s knowledge, skills, and abilities, and preparing for the many changes that come with a change in leadership.\u201d<\/p>\n \u00a0The Annie E. Casey Foundation<\/a> argues that \u201cnonprofits should have a succession plan because it:<\/p>\n More nonprofits are realizing that executive director transition is a crucial moment in an organization\u2019s life: a moment of great vulnerability as well as an excellent opportunity for transformative change. Succession should be a topic broached even when no one is anticipating a change in leaders. And of course, illness and other events can lead to sudden and unanticipated departures.<\/p>\n Most nonprofits have a good potential pipeline of next generation leaders who, with the right development, mentoring, and compensation, may be ready to take on the demanding job of leading a nonprofit organization. At the same time, more and more grant makers are recognizing the need to invest in leadership development and succession planning.<\/p>\n However, most nonprofits are not actively investing time and resources in the adequate preparation of these future leaders.<\/p>\n Ken Saxon, founder of Santa Barbara\u2019s Leading From Within<\/a>, explains it this way. \u201cNonprofits in this country have engaged professional managers for the past 50+ years and yet there is little formal support or preparation for nonprofit leaders. We haven\u2019t built institutions or set standards of practice yet for this important group of professionals.<\/p>\n \u201cMany think that time invested in one\u2019s own professional growth takes away from serving the mission.\u00a0 I see it differently.\u00a0 I want to see our nonprofit professional and volunteer leaders invest in themselves, so they can be more effective in advancing the organization\u2019s mission.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOur Emerging Leaders Program<\/a> is a year-long professional development program for managers in nonprofits–mostly program, development, and administrative managers at Santa Barbara County nonprofit agencies. \u00a0The program focuses on leadership development, personal development, and nonprofit business skills. A big emphasis of this program has been to connect these folks to others in the larger community.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMany of these young managers know only people their own organization, and few have a supportive group of professional peers. We invite outside presenters and lunch guests who are leaders in the field. Group members have a chance to ask questions about the speaker\u2019s professional journey. This process develops a much deeper sense of being part of a broader nonprofit community beyond their agency.\u201d<\/p>\n The Bridgespan Group<\/a> is a global nonprofit that strives to make the world more equitable and just by helping social change leaders find solutions to economic and social barriers. In their recent article, Finding the Right ED: Creating and Managing an Effective Search Committee<\/a>, they explain that \u201cFor many nonprofits, recruiting an executive director is a challenging experience. And creating a search committee to oversee the recruitment process can seem like a daunting task. We have found that having an organized, effective search committee is a key factor in the successful recruitment of an ED.\u201d Their article explains the role the committee should play, what makes a good search committee member, and how to select a search chair.<\/p>\n Even if your board is not actively involved in a search for a new executive director, it is helpful to have an overview of the process.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sam, the board chair, opened the board meeting with a sharp whack of his gavel. He looked a little concerned. A few board members noticed his serious demeanor. They thought maybe it was just worries about his business or family. \u201cBefore we get into this evening\u2019s business, I want to share some important news with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":114,"featured_media":1471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nonprofitkinect.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1467"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nonprofitkinect.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nonprofitkinect.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nonprofitkinect.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/114"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nonprofitkinect.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1467"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/nonprofitkinect.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1467\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1470,"href":"https:\/\/nonprofitkinect.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1467\/revisions\/1470"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nonprofitkinect.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nonprofitkinect.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1467"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nonprofitkinect.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1467"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nonprofitkinect.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1467"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}\n
>>Investing in staff leadership development can prepare your organization for transition.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
>>Understanding the executive search process can help inform your succession plan.<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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