20 Essential Strategies When Creating A Nonprofit Succession Plan

Crafting a succession plan for your nonprofit strategically prepares the organization for leadership changes long before it’s needed. While some organizations may not see the value in creating these plans in advance, an unexpected departure at any level for any reason can create challenges that impact the quality and amount of work being done.

Fortunately, taking small steps to put processes in place now can help ensure future leaders and the team seamlessly transition back to business as usual. Here, 20 Forbes Nonprofit Council members offer advice on techniques nonprofit leaders should adopt when developing a concrete succession plan.

1. Start At The End And Work Backwards

In medicine, discharge starts at admission. The same philosophy can be employed in succession planning. Starting at the end (i.e., retirement, resignation, illness, etc.) and working backward is key. Identify what talent is already on board and what skills need development over time. Investing in potential emerging leaders is an ongoing process that should not be preserved for imminent departures. – Tara Chalakani, Preferred Behavioral Health Group

2. Leave Room For Change

A great succession plan recognizes that succession should be seen as a process, not an event. Having a plan that is active and updated frequently is critical. One element that all plans should include is an individual development plan for all key positions. Investing in and developing current talent provides opportunities for their future and a potential talent pipeline for the organization. – Tom Ulbrich, Goodwill Industries of Western New York, Inc.

3. Identify Desired Hard And Soft Skills

Succession planning needs to be clear on the hard and soft skills you want to see reflected in your potential leaders. Each candidate should be assessed on where they stand relative to those skills. Deliberate steps should then be taken to provide rotational experiences to address skills gaps. This will build your strongest talent bench. – Pat Tamburrino, Jr., NobleReach Foundation

4. Invest In Leadership Training

An organization’s succession plan would not be complete without adequate leadership preparation and training. We assume our leaders have strong nonprofit skills and background but that’s not always the case. Training on best practices and nonprofit leadership coaching can be valuable tools to ensure a smooth transition and to strengthen the relationship between volunteers and leadership. – Victoria Burkhart, The More Than Giving Company

5. Update Job Descriptions

Succession plans are essential to ensure an organization remains stable through leaves of absence or more permanent transitions. Include an updated job description to reflect the evolving needs of the organization and the role, as well as a list of respected recruiting firms and a PR crisis plan to help the board with resources. Train key leaders on the succession plan and review it annually. – Dawn Reese, The Wooden Floor

6. Lay A Solid Foundation

When doing succession planning, it’s important to ensure leadership transitions smoothly, focus on the long-term health of the organization and to understand that it’s an ongoing and iterative process. It takes longer than many leaders realize, so it’s never too early to start laying the foundation. It’s also important to keep refining it with input from peers, coaches, staff, family and friends. – Neha Gill, Apna Ghar, Inc. (Our Home)

7. Seek Out Diverse Perspectives

Succession planning has a bad reputation. It should be a happy activity that prepares current leaders for their next big opportunity while also making room for their successors. Invite outside views and voices to determine what is truly needed for the organization moving forward. Maybe this means grooming and developing talent internally or looking for potential additions outside of your team. Be clear. – Magdalena Nowicka Mook, ICF (International Coaching Federation)

8. Remove Ego From The Process

Succession planning is a hallmark of strong, stable organization but very few take succession planning seriously. I think it’s uncomfortable for many leaders to consider who will take their place. Jettisoning that mindset, working with their board and staff members and seeking guidance from external experts can give leaders the necessary confidence to build a viable succession plan. – Kendra Davenport, Easterseals

9. Do Due Diligence

Look for active leaders who have substance in the workplace. This includes their deep history in the functions that people don’t want to do on boards, i.e., audit, risk and compliance. I love these functions and have found that many people with these experiences work in the governance of companies. Pressure test successors and help them understand what they need to be successful. – Rhonda Vetere, Laureus Sport For Good

10. Implement A Leadership Development Program

A crucial element is to implement a thorough leadership development program with regular growth opportunities to motivate leaders to stay at the organization. Our organization focuses on mentoring, training and providing cross-functional projects to prepare future leaders. Investing in our team helps ensure they stay engaged and deepens our bench of senior talent in the event of a transition. – Michael Horowitz, The Community Solution Education System

11. Envision Future Success

Before working out a strategy for succession planning, nonprofit leaders must be able to envision its success. They must also be able to clearly communicate the plan’s vision so that everyone can relate to it from conception to execution to outcome. – Francis Koroma, Francis Koroma Foundation Corporation

12. Get Buy-In From The Board

Be sure the nonprofit’s board of directors is completely tuned into the mission and outcomes the nonprofit must achieve to be successful. A governing board who selects unqualified leadership sets the organization up for challenges, disruption and possible failure. Succession planning should be success planning, which will become a culture for organizational excellence. – Aaron Alejandro, Texas FFA Foundation

13. Create A Communication Plan

In addition to the usual elements like interim and long-term plans, it is critical that there is a plan for communication to internal and external audiences. It should include specific roles for internal communications, the board chair and the interim CEO. – Deb Callahan, National Fenestration Rating Council

14. Share A Stakeholder Contact Sheet

One vital element to include is a contact sheet with information for all the organization’s vendors, funders and supporters. The contact sheet should provide information on the status and nature of the relationship. This will help the incoming leader make connections and establish relationships with these audiences. – Ramik Williams, KAVI (Kings Against Violence Initiative)

15. Include A Multilevel Look At Leadership

Many boards think about having a succession plan for the chief executive officer but succession plans should also include that top person’s direct reports. This provides a multilevel look at the leadership of the organization. Additionally, the succession plan should include who would lead each department, not just the organization as a whole. – Kimberly Lewis, Goodwill Industries of East Texas, Inc.

16. Offer Development Opportunities

Any succession plan should include a strategy for how you are going to develop individuals to ensure they are prepared for the transition. It is essential to mentor consistently and seek opportunities to leverage an individual’s strengths. Also, look for projects, tasks and opportunities for them to practice new skills. – Scott Dolan, Excelsior University

17. Provide Exposure

By giving successors access to key people, meetings and engagements on an ongoing basis, leaders enable ongoing skill building, engagement and enjoyment of work. If there is a key meeting, why not invite them to join and see how you approach it? If you have key contacts visiting, involve successors in those sessions. If you’re trying to solve a challenging situation, invite them in to benefit from your coaching. – Jonathan Prosser, Compassion UK

18. Have Both Leaders Temporarily Work Together

While there are many key elements of a succession plan like identifying candidates (ideally internally), assigning critical roles and making a transition timeline, there should be time set aside for the leaders to overlap and work together. More so than the private sector, succession plans in nonprofits often see the past leader stay involved, so it is vital that decision-making power is clearly handed off to the incumbent. – Bruce Maj Pelz, Maji Safi Group

19. Outline Potential Risks

It’s important to outline potential risks to mitigate as part of the succession plan. For example, you’ll want to be intentional about not traveling in the same car or on the same flight with the key person on your team who would likely succeed you in an emergency. – Nicole Suydam, Goodwill of Orange County

20. Budget Enough Time

An essential component of a succession plan for a nonprofit organization is accounting for the time required to manage and respond to external factors, such as disruptions caused by conflict or emergency challenges. These factors can significantly impact the timeline and budget of the plan, making it crucial to include flexible strategies and contingency measures to address changes effectively. – Elpida Kokkota, Mexoxo

Source:  Forbes