Once upon a time, chief executives remained in their position for a decade or longer. But the average tenure for a nonprofit executive director has declined dramatically over the past two decades. In today’s fast-paced nonprofit job market, the best executive directors often get lured away by better offers in their first few years. Additionally, the wave of baby boomer executive directors reaching retirement age has compounded the transition crisis in the nonprofit sector.
Whether planned or abrupt, executive transitions can disrupt the progress of even the strongest organization. In fact, case studies have demonstrated that organizations without a transition plan often slide backward — their budgets shrink, their best staff leave, and the pressure to fill the chief executive position results in a bad hire.
To help nonprofits manage the inevitable executive director transition, Successful Nonprofits® provides both transition planning and interim executive director services.
Praise from an Executive Transition Partner
I worked directly with Dolph during his time as an interim Executive Director for the Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS. Dolph is a strong leader, an excellent mentor, and helped transition the Center to a stronger organizational and financial position.
– Jessyca Leach, Executive Director
Southwest Center for HIV/AIDS
Executive Transition Planning Services
The right time to begin planning for your executive director’s departure is right now. Even if your chief executive is completely content and shows no indication of leaving, their life circumstances may change quickly. And these changes may prompt their departure sooner than you think. Our planning services ensure your nonprofit has the road map it needs for a planned or abrupt departure — a map that sets your next leader up for success and makes sure your organization continues to thrive.
Interim Executive Director Services
Sometimes the best transition plan includes bringing in temporary leadership. Whether to cushion the retirement of a beloved leader or to address pain points, the goal of our interim services is to set your next permanent executive director up for success. Each interim engagement is customized to fit your organization’s specific needs – from the amount of time your interim spends on-site with your staff to the length of the engagement. And don’t worry if you are located outside of Atlanta — we travel!