The Society for Human Resource Management [SHRM] reported in a recent article that 2021 will likely bring a “turnover tsunami.” The pandemic and its impact on nonprofit organizations has left many long time leaders determining that now is a good time to move on. Those left in the wake of this exiting wave are scrambling to fill those C-Suite positions with in-demand talent and leadership that can lead the organizations through the challenges of an unforeseeable future. The change at the top represents a chance to revitalize the mission of the organization. But for many nonprofit Boards – those who carry the burden for executing a successful leadership search – seizing the opportunity within the transition is beyond their capacity as volunteers and busy professionals in their own right. As a first step in this process, we offer the following seven questions to those on the cusp of an executive search.

Anyone who has been around the nonprofit fundraising space for a minute knows that the last two months of the calendar year are all about the appeal. For many organizations, more individual gifts are made in November and December than in all the remaining months combined. Your donors expect an appeal letter (or two or three). Some donors even schedule all of their annual giving for the last week in December. The cycle is as predictable as Black Friday and turkey on Thanksgiving and holiday music in the grocery store. But what if you could flip the script and surprise your donors with a meaningful gift for them – without breaking the bank? What if you could turn the whole topsy-turvy race for end-of-year dollars on its head and replace it with an intentional outreach that delights your most faithful friends? I know, sounds pretty good. It’s possible. But you have to plan ahead. And, first, you need to ask yourself one simple question.

How did you land in the fundraising hot seat? Did you realize when you accepted that Chief Executive Officer or Executive Director position at your nonprofit the extent to which you would be the nerve center of your organization’s fundraising efforts? Perhaps you thought your job would be more about creating and leading programs, and the Advancement Office would deal with donors. Surprise! This can come as a bit of a shock to many who sit in the CEO/ED seat and it can necessitate some significant adjustments (both scheduling and mindset).