Emergency Succession Planning
4
Leadership
succession planning
is an ongoing
practice based on
defining an
organization’s
strategic vision,
identifying the
leadership and
managerial skills
necessary to carry
out that vision, and
recruiting,
developing and
retaining talented
individuals who
have or who can
develop those skills.
Overview of Succession Planning
When you think about succession planning, you might imagine some
nebulous process that happens in board rooms of big corporations. In the for
profit world, succession planning has traditionally focused on grooming a
successor or heir apparent. Succession planning in the nonprofit world is a
different matter.
It is no surprise that most nonprofit organizations do not have a succession
plan in place. Small and medium size nonprofits have as many reasons for
this gap as they have constituents. In nonprofits, planning for organizational
health and sustainability often takes a back seat to efforts to serving your
constituents or influencing social change.
It’s time for nonprofit organizations to change that dynamic.
The Case for Succession Planning: In the fall of 2004, 1,080 nonprofit
Executive Directors in Milwaukee, Waukesha, Washington and Ozaukee
counties were surveyed in order to gather information about the potential
scope and impact of executive leadership turnover over the next five to ten
years, and to inform the further development of strategies to address the
pending shift in leaders. Over 350 nonprofit Executive Directors responded to the survey.
As part of the first national study of leadership transition in the nonprofit sector, the Milwaukee area
survey was one of 24 conducted nationwide. The local study was sponsored by the Greater Milwaukee
Foundation, in cooperation with Donors Forum of Wisconsin, Center for Urban Initiatives and
Research, the Helen Bader Institute for Nonprofit Management, and the University of Wisconsin
Milwaukee, in collaboration with the Annie E. Casey Foundation.
Results from the survey highlighted the need to address leadership transition issues among nonprofits.
Specifically:
66% of nonprofit organizations surveyed were likely to experience an executive transition within the
next five years, and 26% of those in the next two years. However, of those surveyed, only 1 - 2%
reported having a succession plan in place.
Organizations that had founding Executive Directors were even less likely to have a plan in place. In
addition, most organizations surveyed approach executive change from a search and hire framework
as opposed to a more comprehensive transition management approach that emphasizes thoughtful
succession planning.
55% of the current nonprofit executives were over 50 years old.
84% of responding executives were white, 11% African American and 1.4% Hispanic/Latino.
Only 33% of responding organizations had a deputy director.
What is Succession Planning? Leadership succession planning is an ongoing practice that is focused on
defining an organization’s strategic vision, identifying the leadership and managerial skills necessary to
carry out that vision, and recruiting, developing and retaining talented individuals who have or who can
develop those skills. Ideally, leadership succession planning will include the following components:
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