Nonprofits face challenges as executives retire - Jacksonville Business Journal:

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Three out of four executives expect to retirs or leave their positions within five and only 29 percent have discussed a successionm plan withtheir boards, accordinf to a 2006 survey of 1,932 nonprofit executives by , a Californis nonprofit-consultant organization. Such an exodus could leave many organizationd struggling to maintain theifr direction and find theright leadership. Nonprofit leaders are educating organizations aboutr the importance of havinvg a succession plan in plac e to ensure a smooth transitionof leadership. "Iff strong leaders leave too thingsfall down," said Tim senior projects director for CompassPoint.
Nonprofits face harsh timese as government cutbacks have left many local organizations withouttadequate funding, which could also reducer the number of potential candidates for nonprofit executivwe positions, said Linda Lanier, who has worked with nonprofits since 1971 and is CEO and executive director of the . "I'm concernex about when some of usstart retiring," she "Now that we are in a time of sever government funding reductions, there are a lot of people who woulds look at these jobs and say, 'I don'tg want to do that.
' " A local The Sulzbacher Center, has been effectiv at planning for executive transition, said Audrey Moran who has twice been the organization's interim director after executives stepped down. "Sulzbacher has been a modep of good CEO transition on a numbedof occasions," she said. "It's smart for a boardx to choose an interim director rathef than hurrythe decision. It's also important for an interim to come in and help the boar d with the search fornew leadership.
" The CompassPoint studyt and other studies concern the Nonprofit Centerr of Northeast Florida and its more than 150 member "Most of our members realize that succession planning is a good but there is some trepidation that goes along executives telling their board they are leaving, said Leah Donelan, directoer of membership for the Nonprofitg Center. "But we're trying to make sure everyonerealizes it's not a reason to be CompassPoint will hold several workshops for the Nonprofitt Center's members at the end of March on creating succession plane and training for interim executive directors.