Keep Funding and Over-Communicate During Transitions

Categories: Board Member Roles · Founder Transitions · Good Board Practices · Hiring ED or CEO · Nonprofit FundingTags: · · · · · Leave a comment

I recently received a call from the Executive Director of an organization that I have supported since it was founded. I have been a consistent major donor and love the organization’s mission. The ED called to tell me he is leaving the organization. I asked him a bunch of questions – about why he was leaving and what he was going to do next. After I felt assured that he was not being pushed out and that there was not an issue with the organization, I wished him good luck and asked him to keep in touch. He then said,… Read more

Check Your Ego and Prioritize the Organization

Categories: Board Member Roles · Board, Board Chair, ED/CEO Roles · Executive Session · Founder Transitions · Good Board Practices · Succession PlanningTags: · · · · · · · · · · · · · · · 1 Comment

I love to share good stories. After my last post (about a founding ED who would not let go), a reader reached out to me to share a very different story. In this post, the founding CEO, the board chair, and the new CEO worked together to make a smooth and successful transition. What worked? Everyone emphasized their commitment to the organization, putting mission before ego. The founder pledged to support the new CEO. The board created a thoughtful, strategic process that prepared them and staff for the transition for the future. The new CEO and the founder developed a… Read more

Expert Advice on Hiring a New Executive Director

Categories: Board Member Roles · Good Board Practices · Hiring ED or CEOTags: · · · · · · · · · Leave a comment

I wanted to finish off my exploration of hiring a new executive director or CEO by asking an expert. Melissa Merritt has done executive searches for twenty years including ten years in the nonprofit sector. She shares her insights about how a board can prepare for a search and what makes the process most successful. This post is my final in a series about hiring a new CEO or Executive Director. The first post talks about a successful process. The second addresses how the outgoing ED should be involved. The third talks about the need for diversity on the search… Read more

An Executive Director Search that Went Wrong

Categories: Board Member Roles · Good Board Practices · Hiring ED or CEO · Succession PlanningTags: · · · · · · · · · · · · · 3 Comments

This post is my fourth in a series about hiring a new CEO or Executive Director. The first post talks about a successful process. The second post addresses how the outgoing ED should be involved. The third post talks about the need for diversity on the search committee to avoid unexpected bias. In this post, the board member reflects on racial and gender bias and a flawed process where a close decision was rushed without examining objections to the candidate. Strategies for Getting the Right Person for Your Organization By a Dedicated Board Member, Somewhere in USA These events happened… Read more

Unexpected Bias Reveals Need for Diversity

Categories: Board Member Roles · Board, Board Chair, ED/CEO Roles · Good Board Practices · Hiring ED or CEO · Succession PlanningTags: · · · · · · · · · · · · 2 Comments

This post is the third in a series about hiring a new CEO or Executive Director. The first post is the story about an effective search that resulted in a great CEO. The second post included three stories which explored how the outgoing Executive Director might be (or not be) involved in the search process. This post tells a story about a new President of a community college – a minority, immigrant woman — who faced challenges after being hired. The board chair sadly recognized that race and gender bias were a big issue. He acknowledged that had he and… Read more