{"id":17506,"date":"2023-03-14T08:00:48","date_gmt":"2023-03-14T12:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.osborne-group.com\/?p=17506"},"modified":"2023-03-14T08:10:16","modified_gmt":"2023-03-14T12:10:16","slug":"nonprofit-executive-director","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.osborne-group.com\/fr\/nonprofit-executive-director\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Tips For Hiring A Nonprofit Executive Director"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A Word to the Wise Nonprofit Board: <\/span><\/b>Don\u2019t Misfire and Mis-hire your next ED.<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/h4>\n


As an Executive Director of several not-for-profits, I always believed if the agency was stagnating, it was enroute to its demise. For me there is nothing more exciting than a turnaround no matter what the circumstances Joining a team that is struggling, one needs humility about the experience you bring and a dedication to helping the team envision and skill up to greet a bright, new future.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Let\u2019s begin with a hypothetical story about a failed leadership transition.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

An Executive Director of a mid-sized not-for-profit agency left after 8 years for a bigger job and salary. The Board scrambled to find a replacement. In its haste the Board mis-hired badly. The new Executive Director behaved like a tyrant. She belittled staff publicly and hired her friends into made up, unfunded positions. It took the Board 15 months to fire her \u2013 after staff wrote directly to the Board. In her wake were complaints to the Ontario Human Rights Commission and a new union representing 16 staff. Unions form for a reason. Staff had feared for their emotional well-being and job security.\u00a0<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Hiring an effective Executive Director in the not-for-profit sector is challenging. Firstly, it is an impoverished sector with little \u201cunrestricted\u201d funding for leadership development. Most Executive Directors have learned the hard way with the battle scars to prove it. Secondly the pay and benefits \u2013 especially of the small to mid-sized agencies are meagre compared to the private sector.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But don\u2019t despair because there are strong leaders out there with a passion for social justice so seek them out for your organization with these five tips for hiring strategically.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tip #1: Know The Organizational Life Cycle<\/span><\/b>
<\/span>When an Executive Director needs or wants to exit, the Board needs to take a deep breath and do a deep dive. Where is the Agency in terms of its organizational life cycle?\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n