Ask anyone who’s ever hired the wrong person for their nonprofit and they will tell you: Hiring the right person is crucial for the longevity of a charitable organization. A bad hire costs any organization time and money, but for nonprofits, the stakes are even higher. When things go wrong at a nonprofit, everyone hears about it. Suddenly, your mission is dwarfed by bad press or a negative reputation. You risk losing donors, volunteers and staff. Your board may start to lose confidence in your leadership. Things can go south fast when you hire the wrong person to be in charge.

The best way to prevent this is by hiring the right person to start. But how? Unless your ideal candidate is right in front of you, it might be best to hire a nonprofit executive search firm to help you find the perfect candidate.

The perfect candidate

Every organization has its own unique needs, but there are a few universals that any nonprofit leader needs to possess: 

• Communication skills: Your nonprofit can’t improve if your leader can’t effectively communicate 

• Vision: Leadership needs to be able to see the future–at least the future they’re hoping to create as a leader

• Tenacity: Before you get your big “yes” from donors, before you can implement the programs you know your nonprofit is capable of, you’ll hear a lot of “no’s.” Your nonprofit’s leader needs to be able to try again, and again, and again. 

• The ability to inspire: Good leaders inspire without saying a word. 

Knowing what you need is the easy part. Slightly more challenging is finding that perfect person. We’ve put together some considerations for you and your team as you embark on your nonprofit leadership hiring journey. 

Good leadership matters–even before you hire

Good leaders matter everywhere, but especially when they’re in charge of leading a nonprofit. They set the tone. They lead the mission. Their attitude wins or loses all opportunities. It's important to have good leadership in place when you’re looking for your next executive. 

The best candidates can tell if existing leadership is shaky. And of course they should be excited to come aboard and start fixing what needs to be fixed, but if some or all of the existing leadership is sticking around, or the board seems combative or ineffectual, it could be a big red flag for the best of the best candidates. 

Know the nonprofit executive hiring process 

Hiring isn’t the easiest task under any circumstances. Hiring for a nonprofit organization is even more difficult. In nonprofit hiring, you have a lot of stakeholders to keep happy–or at least informed. From the board of directors to your donors and the people you serve, there are a lot of opinions and needs to consider when making your next hire. 

Another thing to consider is whether you’re going to manage the hiring process yourself or hire an executive search firm that specializes in placing executive candidates for nonprofits. 

Attracting a great nonprofit candidate

Your ideal candidate depends on a number of factors, but the very best person for the job will match up with your needs for the following:

• Mission: It doesn’t matter how outstanding the candidate is. If they don’t wholly align with your nonprofit’s mission, they won’t be a good fit.

• Location: If you need an in-person leader, you need an in-person leader. If your perfect candidate wants to work remotely, that candidate isn’t so perfect after all.

• Salary and benefits: These things have to match up to ensure success on both sides of the partnership. If you’re not sure what the market rate is for the role you’re trying to fill, consider having a compensation study done.

• Experience: Are you looking for a seasoned veteran or someone with a fresher take?

Keep in mind, also, that the very best of the best probably aren’t even looking for a new job. For this reason, and to make sure you hit all of the above points, a nonprofit executive search firm can be helpful. They know the best of the best and who among them might be interested in a change. 

Vanderbloemen can help

If you’re interested in exploring how a nonprofit executive search firm might be able to help you find your next leader, get in touch! We’re here to help whenever you’re ready.