​THE WHEN & WHY OF INTERIM NONPROFIT LEADERSHIP
 
Have you noticed a trend lately of more nonprofit organizations hiring interim executive leaders after an Executive Director (ED)/CEO departs? Your eyes are not deceiving you! More and more nonprofit organizations are benefiting from bringing on an interim leader during a time of transition. While sometimes it makes perfect sense to hire a new Executive Director to take over from a departing ED, in many instances it can be advantageous to first bring on an Interim ED for a period of time.

I have been thinking about the last crisis in 2008, how it impacted nonprofit organizations, and what lessons could be learned. I reached out to several people who I thought would provide good perspective, people who have served on many boards and as funders. In this post, they offer their insights from the last crisis as well as thoughts about this one.

I interviewed in alphabetical order: (See bios below.)
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• Robbie Bach, former President of the Entertainment and Devices Division at Microsoft and currently a speaker, author, consultant, and nonprofit board member.
• Michael Brown, Chief Architect of Civic Commons at Seattle Foundation and a nonprofit board member.
• Phyllis Campbell, Chairman for the Pacific Northwest for JPMorgan Chase and Co.  and former President and CEO of Seattle Foundation.
• Jon Fine, former CEO of United Way King County and currently a board member, professor, and consultant.

“Editor’s note: Our community includes many exceptional leaders. From time to time, Valtas gives voice to them by including their commentary in our blog. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!” ​

How do you define an “effective board member”? (What makes a board member a good one?)

​An effective board member actively contributes their time, treasure, and/or talent. 

The WSCPA Not-For-Profit and Health Care Conference is an annual broadcast to keep you up to speed on issues in the ever-changing NFP and health care arena.
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During the two-day conference attendees can select from different tracks to ensure that the information is relevant and useful. Options include sessions on GAAP, internal controls, advocacy, employee benefits and much more. The conference is also a place to mix and mingle with friends and colleagues at the networking reception on Tuesday evening. 

You have found the non-profit board you want to join – now what?!?

There are still several steps you should take to ensure the right fit for you and for them. ​​Here are five best practices to help you on your way.