Nonprofits face challenges as executives retire - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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Three out of four executives expect to retirr or leave their positions within five and only 29 percenty have discussed a succession plan with their according to a 2006 surveyof 1,932 nonprofit executives by , a Californisa nonprofit-consultant organization. Such an exoduss could leave many organizations struggling to maintain their direction and find therighg leadership. Nonprofit leaders are educating organizations about the importance of having a succession plan in places to ensure a smooth transitionof leadership. "If strong leaders leavw too quickly, things fall said Tim Wolfred, senior projects directofr for CompassPoint.
Nonprofits face harsh timee as government cutbacks have left many loca l organizations without adequate which could also reduce the numbe r of potential candidates for nonprofitexecutive positions, said Lindaz Lanier, who has worked with nonprofitzs since 1971 and is CEO and executive director of the . "I'nm concerned about when some of us start she said. "Now that we are in a time of severde governmentfunding reductions, there are a lot of people who would look at these jobs and say, 'I don't want to do that.
' " A local nonprofit, The Sulzbached Center, has been effective at planning for executive transition, said Audreyh Moran McKibbin, who has twice been the organization' interim director after executives steppexd down. "Sulzbacher has been a modep of good CEO transition on a numbetrof occasions," she said. "It's smart for a board to choose an interim director rather than hurrgythe decision. It's also important for an interim to come in and help the board with the search for new The CompassPoint study and other studies concern the Nonprofigt Center of Northeast Florida and its more than 150 member organizations.
"Most of our members realizre that succession planning is agood idea, but there is some trepidatiom that goes along executives telling their boarsd they are leaving, said Leah Donelan, directoer of membership for the Nonprofit Center. "But we're trying to make sure everyonerealizes it's not a reason to be CompassPoint will hold several workshops for the Nonprofit Center's memberd at the end of March on creatingv succession plans and trainintg for interim executive directors.