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Jul 6

Feature of the Month - July 2009

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Building Community Action Leadership for the Years Ahead


Where are the Community Action leaders of the future? 

Succession Planning for CAA Executives and Board Members will be offered as a workshop at the Community Action Partnership’s upcoming annual convention - use this link for convention information.  Additionally, at least eight State CAP Associations have offered conference workshops on succession planning over the past two years.

A Nonprofit Executive Leadership and Transitions Survey was conducted by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in 2004 – Summary of Survey Findings.  65% of respondents said they were likely to go through an executive transition within five years!

As stated by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, effective management of human capital is critical to meeting the challenges confronting 21st century leaders.  A strategic approach – one that aligns the mission with an organization's workforce planning and requirements – makes it possible to build leadership capacity now and for the future.  Leadership succession planning creates a pipeline of leaders, giving organizations the assurance that they can fulfill their leadership needs at every level.

Over the past year, we’ve put together a wealth of Virtual CAP Resource Information on Succession Planning and Emerging Leadership to help CAAs develop strategies and plans to address this critical issue.  Here are just a few examples:

Efforts to Address Succession Planning in the Community Development Field


Several years ago, The Neighborhood Partnership Fund undertook a Succession Planning Project to explore how to best implement executive succession planning in the community development field.  The first phase of the project involved an online survey of CDC Executive Directors in Oregon.  Board Chairs and Executive Directors from eleven CDCs were then interviewed to further explore their organization’s histories, systems, strengths and relationship to succession planning.  In the final phase of the project, two CDCs participated in a hands-on succession planning process culminating in the creation of customized succession plans.

Of the fifteen CDC Executive Directors who participated in the online survey, two-thirds had been in their current position for five or more years; nearly one third had been in their current position for fifteen or more years.  Participants reported on their CDCs’ anticipated Executive Director departure dates, major organizational issues and challenges, current status of succession planning, strengths and barriers to leadership succession, and hopes and visions for successful leadership transitions.

  • Three-fourths (75%) of Executive Directors anticipated they will leave their positions within four years.  One-fifth (20%) planned to leave in ten years or more.
  • Major issues and challenges were diversifying and/or stabilizing funding in light of continuing reductions in government funding; succession planning, including planning for the succession of executives, other senior managers and long-term Board leaders; developing systems and infrastructure; and staff development and retention.
  • Twelve of fifteen (82%) online survey respondents did not have an executive succession plan in place, while three (18%) did.


    • Executive Transitions Monograph Series


    The Annie E. Casey Foundation has published an Executive Transitions Monograph Series and a number of other items related to nonprofit executive leadership and transitions, such as these reports issued in 2008:

  • Building Leaderful Organizations: Succession Planning for Nonprofits – The development of leadership skills throughout an organization is a key strategy for succession planning and strengthening capacity.
  • Next Shift: Beyond the Nonprofit Leadership Crisis
  • Ready-to-Lead? Next Generation Leaders Speak Out


    • Helpful Tools


    Many excellent items to support succession planning efforts are available from CompassPoint Nonprofit Services and TransitionGuides such as:

  • Leader Development & Emergency Succession Planning (CompassPoint) – Designed to assist you in creating a plan to deepen and expand your organization’s leadership capacity to: (a) fulfill the mission and competently serve its customers, (b) attain current and future goals (programmatic and operational), (c) sustain and/or enhance the organization’s health and vitality, and (d) retain the institutional memory, culture and values that give life to the organization.
  • Managing Executive Transitions: A Guide for Nonprofits (TransitionGuides) – Recommends a transformational process of three phases: Prepare, Pivot, and Thrive. The Guide includes engaging case studies and hands-on tools such as planning agendas, timelines, sample letters, and communication tips will smooth the transition to new executive leadership – Table of Contents and List of Tools.

    • Find More


    See Virtual CAP Resource Information on Succession Planning and Emerging Leadership.

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