After thirty years of service to nonprofit leaders, our archives are rich in resources. Last week I ran across a 2006 paper in our files from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) titled “Tips on Succession Planning,” and it really caught my eye.
Some principles of board engagement stand the test of time, including those that follow from that AFP article on board succession planning, which I happily share with you today, with only a few edited updates, this many years later!
Please note: Any reference to President or President-Elect would be interchangeable with Board Chair and Vice Chair, depending on your governance structure. That might also be the case with the terms Nominating Committee and Governance Committee.
Consider adding the position of President-Elect if your bylaws do not already contain a provision for the office.
To prepare the President-Elect for the office of President, consider allowing that person to prepare for and preside over an occasional board meeting. It would be best practice to allow them to prepare and lead an executive committee meeting, too.
Use a Board Member Profile form to guide the needed make-up of your board (to ensure diversity, required skills, geographic representation, etc.).
Ensure that terms on the Board of Directors are staggered so that there is always a balance of experienced and new Directors.
Give some thought to creating a natural line of succession that provides very specific experience. For example, a board member with the potential and the interest in serving as President would progress from proven leadership as Chair of the Annual Giving Campaign to Vice President of Fundraising, to President-Elect, and then President. This progression can be adjusted any way that suits your board’s needs. Be sure not to make the commitment too long but make it long enough for the board member to develop the skills necessary to lead the board effectively and with confidence.
Ensure that the Nominating Committee works on cultivating board member and officer prospects all year long instead of beginning the search just before the slate of nominees is due for a vote.
Review current committee and task force assignments with a view to dividing duties into smaller, less time-consuming responsibilities, wherever possible.
Cultivate new leadership by involving as many board members as possible on those committees and task forces and work them gradually into more responsible assignments.
Involve community stakeholders on committees and task forces and as volunteers with your events and programming to help identify possible fits for your board. (Remind me to tell you a client story of how a neighbor of a major events chair went from volunteering for a few hours at that event to serving as leadership on that committee, to becoming a board member, and ultimately serving as capital campaign chair and major donor, involving many others like her along the way.)
Assure that the Immediate Past President remains active by creating that position on the executive committee. This retains insights and expertise and allows for smoother transitions. All Past Presidents should be provided opportunities to remain engaged with staff, board and committee members, and donors as might fit their available time and interests. This will keep experienced leaders in touch with programming and fundraising and allow them to observe members with leadership potential who can be recommended for board service.
I hope you agree that these tips were worth pulling out of the file and sharing here. An engaged, equipped board of directors is essential to your success, and building a succession plan for your board leadership will ensure priceless continuity.
Best wishes for your own board-building!