Succession Planning: How to Get Started

Strong nonprofit leaders are essential to winning – and keeping – the support of donors and grant makers. Some leaders even become synonymous with a nonprofit’s brand, making it hard to imagine a group without them.

What would happen if your chief executive suddenly had to step down? Would it throw your nonprofit into crisis?

It’s quite likely because nearly 80 percent of nonprofits lack a written succession plan even though a long-term leadership plan gives donors and grant makers confidence in an organization’s longevity. Plus, planned transitions offer many positive opportunities, such as staff development, organizational growth, and a way to bring your most important supporters closer. 

Don’t put off this vital planning exercise any longer. Join us for a one-hour webinar that will show you how to start planning for an executive transition. 

You’ll learn from:

Elianne Farhat, head of TakeAction Minnesota, who will share lessons learned from her organization’s recent transition. She took the helm from the founder about a year ago after serving on the staff. She’ll walk through the steps to take to develop a clear process for hiring and training a new leader while honoring the legacy of the outgoing executive. She’ll explain how to assess a nonprofit’s strengths and weaknesses, share tools for defining roles and responsibilities, and share firsthand knowledge of challenges and opportunities. 

Sally Blue, a consultant who helps nonprofits with succession planning. Blue will outline key questions to ask and steps to take before, during, and after a transition. She’ll also offer tips on how to handle an unexpected exit.

Plus, you’ll get three planning tools: a timeline for a leadership transition, a roadmap of important considerations and tasks, and a sample grid that delineates the responsibilities of board members and key employees.

You’ll learn:

• Key steps to take before you begin planning a succession
• Tips for creating – and sticking to – a clear process for hiring and training a new leader
• How to engage your staff, board members, and key supporters in a transition

SPEAKERS: