Leadership Matters
Non-profit volunteer boards often struggle to find younger members to lead the way forward. Long-serving directors may remain deeply committed to the organizations they serve, but many QAHN members have reported that they also feel exhausted. This is recipe for organizational disaster. Why does board renewal seem so hard? What actions can you and your leadership team take now to identify, attract and retain the next generation of community-heritage leaders? (Hint: One of the hallmarks of good governance is having a sound succession plan.)
Here are some tools to help guide your reflection on these key questions. They were created by organizational trainer Rola Helou, who worked with several QAHN member groups around questions of board governance and succession planning during QAHN’s 2023-2026 MATCH program.
Start the Conversation: Obstacles to Board Renewal
Has your board ever discussed what the future might look without them? If not, what’s holding them back? The book, Who Comes Next, features a simple questionnaire to start the conversation, reproduced below. Taken together, board members’ answers will help yield valuable insights for future planning discussions.
Securing the Future: A Framework for Succession Planning
Whether you are new to succession planning or just need a refresher, this PowerPoint slide presentation by Rola Helou offers a comprehensive overview of important concepts and definitions to guide your board through the succession-planning process.
Elements of Succession Policy: A Template
Among other considerations, board-renewal planning should aim for the right balance between continuity and change. Here’s a sample 10-page model that lays out key planning and administrative features typically included in succession policies for community non-profits, covering everything from the roles and responsibilities of directors (including members of the nominating committee) to procedures for filling vacancies and required competencies for new board members. Free to use this document as a template for your own group’s succession policy.