Finding Leaders for America's Nonprofits

A NEW REPORT BY THE BRIDGESPAN GROUP analyzes the breadth of the "evolving nonprofit leadership deficit" in this country and notes that the need is especially acute among human service and arts organizations.

In the face of anticipated baby boomer retirements, many of those surveyed cited a need to fill roles with increasing management complexity, and they foresee challenges in finding candidates who are both qualified for the roles and who are cultural fits with their organizations.

That sounds familiar. Also among the findings:

Message No. 1: The leadership deficit in nonprofit organizations remains large, and the gap includes “new–to-the-organization” positions as well as vacancies due to baby boomer retirements (a trend that may have slowed with the downturn, but certainly not abated).

Message No. 2: Functional skills matter (and are transferable across sectors or domains).

Message No. 3: Cultural fit is the deal breaker.

Message 4: Job boards, networks, and search professionals most effectively connect talent to jobs.

This is a report to share with appropriate board committees, HR departments, and department heads in your organization. Whether or not your organization is currently involved in a search, the insights and advice you'll find in "Finding Leaders for America's Nonprofits" will help you prepare for future searches as well as guide strengthening your current leadership.

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Leading by Design

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