Planning ahead for when executive directors, board members, or staff leave helps organizations stay stable. People will eventually finish their terms, move on, or retire. When an organization has a succession plan in place, work can continue smoothly and performance stays strong, even during changes.
Below are a few helpful resources for nonprofits that want to plan ahead for leadership changes. These tools offer guidance, examples, and templates to support transitions when staff or board leaders move on.
- Building Leaderful Organizations: Succession Planning for Non-Profits by the Annie E. Casey Foundation
- Nonprofit Executive Succession-Planning Toolkit by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City
- Succession Planning for Nonprofits/Managing Leadership Transitions by the National Council of Nonprofits
