Practical lessons from boards and CEOs who have recently navigated nonprofit leadership transitions
A nonprofit CEO transition can feel like a single, high-stakes event: a longtime leader announces a departure, the board forms a search committee and the work begins. Yet organizations positioned for success have been preparing long before the search starts.
Gilman Partners, in partnership with Beth Benson, CEO of the new BEAM Center for Nonprofits, recently brought together nonprofit leaders and board members to discuss that preparation. Panelists included:
- Vanessa Freytag, Former Board Chair, OCCRRA (Ohio Child Care Resource and Referral Agency), and Past President & CEO, 4C for Children
- Chris Angellatta, CEO, OCCRRA
- Rick Wurth, CEO, OneQuest Health
- Jeffrey Sackenheim, Outgoing Board President, OneQuest Health
- Bill Harrod, Board Chair, Crayons & Beyond
- Kirstin Eismin-Henry, President & CEO, Crayons & Beyond
Their experiences reinforced that succession planning extends well beyond identifying the next CEO. It includes developing leaders throughout the organization, strengthening the board and preparing for emergencies.
Build leadership depth before a departure is on the horizon
One participant described having significant time to prepare for succession as a gift, then acknowledged that it still did not feel like enough. Leadership transitions require more than selecting a search firm and creating a position profile.
One organization began preparing three years before its CEO transition was expected. The work was not limited to identifying a possible CEO successor. It focused on strengthening talent across the team, recruiting promising leaders through sources such as Forty Under 40 and building the business and leadership skills the team would need in the future.
Succession planning is not only for the top role. Nonprofits often have deep subject-matter expertise but fewer opportunities for employees to move through multiple leadership levels. Developing strategic thinking, financial decision-making, people leadership and communication creates greater depth, even when the org chart is narrow.
Be equally intentional about the board
Preparing the team and strengthening the board are related but different responsibilities. One organization created a 12-month board test period. Subject-matter experts in areas like finance, human resources, and law participate in meetings and planning without initially holding a vote. Their report card considers meeting attendance, introductions to prospective board members/subject-matter experts, social media support and whether they met the minimum giving expectation. Those who demonstrate commitment could be invited to join the full board.
The process creates a stronger board pipeline and provides objective information about engagement. It can be difficult to ask a volunteer to step away when their intentions are good, but clear expectations and data make that responsibility easier for the board chair and better for the organization.
Prepare for both an emergency and a planned transition
A business continuity plan and a succession plan are not the same. A continuity plan answers the questions that come up after an emergency or unplanned departure: Who can access critical accounts and records? Who has decision-making authority? Who communicates with employees, funders and partners? A succession plan addresses a transition the organization has time to prepare for, including the future leadership profile, search process, knowledge transfer and onboarding.
Even a one-person nonprofit can keep a list of people the board might consider in an emergency or eventual transition, including leaders from partner organizations or others who understand the work. It is not a replacement for a thoughtful search, but it prevents a blank-page start.
Let the organization help define what it needs next
The job of a nonprofit CEO has become more complex. One search committee chair recalled thinking, “Who is this person? Who are we going to find?” Today’s nonprofit CEOs may be expected to bring mission credibility, financial fluency, fundraising ability, operational discipline, board leadership and resilience through constant change.
The board should not define that profile alone. Board members are accountable for selecting the CEO, but they are not inside the work every day. Honest conversations with the executive team and close partners can reveal what the organization needs from its next leader, including strengths to preserve, gaps to address and challenges the new CEO will inherit.
The search committee should represent what one panelist called the “soul of the organization,” including both its history and its future. Internal candidates should understand how decisions will be made and feel their candidacy is taken seriously. Even if not selected, the organization may need them to remain engaged and provide stability through the transition.
Hire for the next chapter, not as a replica of the past
A common concern is how anyone can fill the shoes of a leader who has held the role for many years. Gilman Partners Partner and Executive Search Consultant Michele Plessinger offered a useful reframing: the new leader will bring their own shoes.
The goal is not to duplicate the departing CEO’s relationships, knowledge or leadership style. The search should identify the person who can carry the mission forward while responding to the organization’s current needs and future opportunities. That may require different strengths than the organization needed ten or fifteen years ago.
Make the handoff deliberate, then give the new CEO room to lead
Access to the outgoing CEO can be valuable for introductions, historical context and knowledge about important relationships. However, boards and departing CEOs often assume the two leaders need to overlap longer than they actually do. Too much overlap can blur authority and make it harder for employees and stakeholders to recognize the new CEO as the leader.
Be specific about what needs to be transferred and set a clear end point. Then allow the incoming leader to build relationships and establish their own way of leading. One new CEO asked people, “What works really well currently?” and “What could be done better?” Another useful question is, “What are the unwritten rules here?” The answers often reveal cultural norms and sensitivities that no transition binder will capture.
Succession planning is an ongoing leadership responsibility
The strongest succession plans do not sit untouched until a CEO announces a departure. They show up in how the organization develops its team, how the board recruits and evaluates its members, how emergency responsibilities are assigned and how regularly leaders consider what the mission will require next.
That preparation cannot eliminate every challenge, but it keeps the organization from starting at zero. When a transition comes, the board is better equipped to make a thoughtful decision, the team is prepared to provide continuity, and the new CEO can step into an organization ready to move forward.
Gilman Partners helps nonprofit boards plan for and navigate executive leadership transitions, from early succession conversations through the search and onboarding process.
