Non Profit Board Policies on Succession Planning
Nonprofit organizations rely heavily on those in leadership positions, and organizations need policies outlining the succession plan for the day when the leader must be replaced. According to the Milwaukee Foundation, 66 percent of nonprofits are likely to experience a transition in leadership in the next five years, but only one to two percent has a succession plan.
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Organziational Development
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Nonprofits should do organizational check-ups as part of their annual strategic planning. According to Executive Transitions, it is important that the board of directors is actively engaged in its duties regarding governance, fund-raising, and public relations. If the leader has been bearing board responsibilities, the entire organization can experience a crisis when she departs.
Emergency Transition
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Leaders will inevitably retire, but any leader could leave suddenly for health or personal reasons. According to the Executive Transition Toolkit, most nonprofits do not have a succession plan because they focus their time and energy on sustaining the organization and serving their constituents. The Toolkit suggests appointing a task force to develop both an emergency transition plan and a long-term transition plan.
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Succession Plan
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Part of the succession plan should be to define the procedures for developing leadership skills within the organization. After clarifying the strategic goals for the organization, the skills and tasks required to reach those goals should be broken down and delegated to cross-trained staff and volunteers within the organization. At the time of transition, the legacy of the past leader should be celebrated. Positive communication with the staff, volunteers, and supporters of the organizations helps to ease the stress of transition.
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- Photo Credit businessman outside image by Alexey Klementiev from Fotolia.com
