May Frontline Perspectives

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November 2019

May 2021

Bryan Orander, President, Charitable Advisors

Time to talk about year-end retirements

As some organizations begin the slow path back to more normal operations, many nonprofit leaders are reflecting on the decision they made last year to hold off on retirement or, after a trying year, recognizing that their next chapter may need to come sooner than they originally thought. Every year, Charitable Advisors supports 15+ nonprofit leadership searches and transitions, including five to 10 retirements.

Here are the top four questions we receive about ED/CEO retirement. In general, there is not a single correct answer since relationships and culture will have an impact:

1. When and with whom do I start the conversation? The first official conversation should be the board chair, sometimes the Executive Committee. Informally, some staff leaders will be talking with select senior staff.

2. How far in advance should I tell people? We suggest considering two important timeframes — the “Get ready” timeframe and the “It’s time to move forward” timeframe:

“Get ready” is the discussion that indicates you are beginning to think about your timeframe and suggesting that succession planning be included in the next cycle of the strategic plan or included as a portion of an upcoming board retreat. No rush, just beginning to think. This can be 12 to 24 months out, or more.

“Time to move” is the conversation you need to initiate if you have a target date for stepping back. We suggest 8 to 9 months’ advance notice.

3. What should communications look like to our stakeholders and community? It is a big deal when a nonprofit ED/CEO moves on, especially if they have been in the role a long time and have many established relationships inside and outside the organization. Stakeholders need assurance that your organization will continue to serve.

Think of your communications plan as beginning with the board and staff, then moving quickly to major donors, clients, and partners before expanding to all donors and other stakeholders. The last step is a public press release, after you have told everyone directly connected to you and your organization.

4. How long does a search and leadership transition take? When consulting with board leadership, we suggest 8 to 9 months. However, the search process itself takes 3 to 4 months. Your organization will need to allow time at the beginning for communications and for the board to get organized and pull a transition/search committee together. At the end of the process, you need to allow time for the handoff and learning from the retiring ED/CEO.

To learn more about effective retirement and leadership transition planning, join us for a webinar on May 19 at 11 a.m. ET.

To discuss your specific circumstances, contact Bryan Orander at Bryan@charitableadvisors.com or 317-752-7153.

“Hiring the Best” – Hiring Assessments increase fit and retention

Charitable Advisors becomes Talexes Partner

As we bring new people into our organizations or consider existing staff for new roles, there are assessment tools that can help identify where candidates or current team members may be naturally inclined or might need to make conscious adjustments to thrive.

We are excited to be working in partnership with Talexes and will be using their hiring assessments in our own executive searches in addition to providing local nonprofits with effective, affordable tools.

We love these assessments because they have been recently validated with today’s workforce, you can take them on phones and tablets, and they can be used through the full hiring, staff development, and succession planning lifecycle. Talexes offers three hiring assessments - for executive, mid-level, and entry level hiring - plus a great 360 assessment tool.

You can learn more by joining the “Hiring the Best” webinar on May 26 at noon ET.

Attendees will have a chance to try out the TalassureMX assessment for FREE! ($175 value). TalassureMX provides objective insights into the core behavioral traits, occupational interests, and reasoning ability of upper-level professionals.

Succession planning isn’t just

for retirement anymore webinar

On May 19 from 11:00 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Whether you are a nonprofit ED/CEO beginning to think about your retirement timeline or a board or staff leader who wants to be sure your organization has laid the appropriate groundwork for a successful transition. Presented by Bryan Orander.

Registration

We want to recognize board leaders

For most board members, board leadership roles come with a commitment and investment of time and resources to support a cause they care about. However, for the individual who steps up to serve as board president or chair, the role comes with the assumption of overall responsibility for the nonprofit and guiding the organization’s path forward.

As we continue to share news of board leaders who have taken the helm, we encourage you to recognize and thank these individuals for tackling the role, because as a community member you recognize the value of his or her investment to help keep the sector strong.

If you want to announce your organization’s new board leader, please send name, position and a head shot HERE.

We are open to other ways we can support and recognize board leaders. Send us your thoughts or tell us a story about a board leader who has made a difference in your organization. Share your ideas with Bryan Orander, president.