Why Nonprofit Transitions Fail

This Element is an excerpt from Managing Leadership Transition for Nonprofits: Passing the Torch to Sustain Organizational Excellence (9780137047659) by Barry Dym, Susan Egmont and Laura Watkins. Available in print and digital formats. How to manage both the predictable and unpredictable challenges that derail so many non-profit leadership transitions. Leadership transitions are rarely smooth. Some difficulties are not so much due to faulty governance or planning but are natural to any major change effort. These can be anticipated and managed. Meanwhile, unforeseen events will inevitably influence board deliberations and progress. Whatever issues arise, a commitment to respond to concerns transparently gives the board credibility and room to operate....

For nonprofits leadership transitions are a time of exceptionally high risk. Here, three internationally-respected experts show how to systematically identify, introduce, support, and monitor leaders in ways that enhance rather than undermine their performance. They explain why leadership transitions are so challenging for nonprofits, and show how to replace chaos and crisis with proven, sustainable leadership transition plans. Writing for all nonprofit board members, leaders, aspiring leaders, and stakeholders, the authors demonstrate how to: Maintain organizational momentum, continuity, and credibility through the transition Find leaders who align well with your organizational values and its evolving culture Avoid fighting, rumors, accusations, and the common mistakes that derail nonprofit leadership transitions Build a sturdy bridge between departing and incoming leaders Set appropriate expectations for both boards and leaders, and guide them to complement each other successfully Plan succession and continuity for the long-term Use transitions to advance the organization’s mission

The Essential Guide for Managing Leadership Turnovers A leadership transition can be a time of high vulnerability for a nonprofit organization. On the other hand, an executive turnover offers unique opportunities for renewal and fresh thinking. Managing Executive Transitions shows how this state of transition can give board and staff members a chance to put things back together in new and creative ways—to discard some old pieces and to bring in fresh elements. Nonprofit boards and executive directors will find practical advice on how to manage leadership turnovers in ways that can heighten mission impact while avoiding potential downsides. Author Tim Wolfred recommends a transformational process of three phases: Prepare, Pivot, and Thrive. In the Prepare phase board members, staff, volunteers, and funders engage in an efficient process for updating the agency's strategic directions and crafting a profile of the skills needed in the next executive. In the Pivot phase a search ensues, conducted by a board reinvigorated and excited about the agency's future impact. In the Thrive phase the board engages the newly hired executive as a leadership partner and gives him or her clear performance priorities derived from the strategic directions. Engaging case studies and hands-on tools such as planning agendas, timelines, sample letters, and communication tips will smooth the transition to new executive leadership.

The Nonprofit Leadership Transition and Development Guide In this dynamic resource, Tom Adams (an expert in succession planning who has worked with hundreds of organizations) shows how intentional leadership development and properly managed leadership transitions provide nonprofits with the rare opportunity to change direction, maintain momentum, and strengthen their capacity. This accessible guidebook is filled with illustrative stories, instructive lessons, best practices, and practical tools that can be used to ensure a successful nonprofit leadership transition. "It is terrific to have a book which so effectively addresses the unique challenges and opportunities of leadership in the nonprofit sector, replete with sound advice and concrete examples. Tom Adams brings a wealth of experience and savvy to the topic. Paid and volunteer leaders of nonprofits at all levels will benefit from reading it."—Irv Katz, president and CEO, National Human Services Assembly "The guide is one of its kind in providing a realistic frame for the world of nonprofit leaders. It is long overdue in the sector as a real tool for leaders. Maybe even more important, it helps nonprofit boards of directors and philanthropic organizations to understand the connection between their investment in leadership and achieving organizational goals." —Diane Bell McKoy, CEO, Associated Black Charities "Rich with instructive examples and advice, this book is grounded in the reality of nonprofits. It will be an extraordinarily useful guide to nonprofit organizations of all types and sizes." —Ruth McCambridge, editor in chief, Nonprofit Quarterly "Make no mistake: attracting and retaining top talent should be priority number one for the nonprofit sector. Adams's book offers practical advice for how to embed this priority into the sector's DNA. All who care about nonprofit effectiveness would be well-served to give this book a close read."—Kathleen P. Enright, president and CEO, Grantmakers for Effective Organizations

Nonprofit Leadership: Life Lessons from an Enterprising Practitioner explores what it means to be a civic leader in the nonprofit sector, building on the author's 30 years of experience as a leader, investor and researcher. The book combines leadership insights with personal reflections and provides new perspectives on social innovation and problem solving in community economic development. The book challenges readers to consider questions about their careers, rethink or expand their points of view and absorb lessons from the field. At the heart of the book is the recognition that good leadership and management cannot be reduced to a handful of principles or lessons, but flows from ongoing reflection and action. Nonprofit Leadership fills a gap in the existing nonprofit leadership literature. "Through provocative questions and evocative stories, Nonprofit Leadership becomes the perfect travel companion for emerging leaders in our field."-Ralph Smith, Senior Vice President, Annie E. Casey Foundation "From his work in gritty urban neighborhoods to City Hall to his role as a funder of ambitious community development initiatives, Bob Giloth has pushed the community practice envelope. This is a unique and moving contribution to the fields of community development and nonprofit management."-Nik Theodore, Associate Professor of Urban Planning and Policy, University of Illinois at Chicago "Only someone with a bold hand, a fearless heart and a sense of humor could have written this book, which is about harnessing your passion and not being afraid to fail."-Kirsten Moy, Director, Economic Opportunity Program, The Aspen Institute

In Why Nonprofits Fail, author and nonprofit expert StephenBlock explains that many well-intentioned leaders hold on to viewsof their nonprofit organizations that perpetuate problems ratherthan help fix them. According to Block, the first step to successis to challenge one's own personal paradigms and ideas and be opento unique and alternative approaches to solving problems. Thismuch-needed book helps nonprofits get back on track and offersadvice about the seven most common stumbling blocks, including: Founder's syndrome Fundphobia Financial misfortune Recruitment disorientation Cultural depression in nonprofit organizations Self-serving political performance Role confusion between the board and executive director

The authors provide a range of ideas on how to approach generational shifts in leadership so that the contributions of long-time leaders are valued, new and younger leaders' talent is recognized, and groups are better prepared to work across generational divides. Giving context to these differences, they explore the current assumptions about the upcoming transition between generations in the social sector; introduce new ideas or frames for thinking about generational leadership change; and examine how this change poses individual, organizational, and systemic challenges for those in the social sector. In addition, they provide numerous examples and practical exercises to show how to address these issues. The book concludes with critical advice on how to communicate across generations and key recommendations for future research and action.

Over the last 20 years, the number of professional managers displaced from US corporate jobs has increased dramatically. This has coincided with the rapid expansion of employment in the US nonprofit sector; a sector that has a high proportion of managerial and professional workers among its employees. Workforce Transitions from the Profit to the Nonprofit Sector examines the career sequences of dislocated white-collar corporate managers who want to move to the nonprofit sector. It highlights the managers' motivations, the structural barriers which prevented them from making the transition, and the methods of penetrating the barriers. It uncovers the reasons why some corporate managers are able to make the transition and why others do not. Finally, it presents the methods of adaptation that were utilized in their new environments. This volume will be of interest to human resource managers in the profit and nonprofit sectors, sociologists, occupational researchers, and organizational psychologists.