Community Foundations CEO Succession Planning: Where do we start? Timing

1. Community Foundations CEO Succession Planning: • Where do we start? • Timing • Allow 6-9 months for the process. • Know Your Foundation • Strategically, what are the areas of focus for your foundation? • Active grant making. • Growing funds. • Effective collaborations. • Fostering philanthropic leadership. • Efficient and effective operations and governance. • Strengths and weaknesses of your foundation • What changes do you want to see in the foundation? • Outline changes you want to see and incorporate them into the questions you ask during the interview process and the position description.

2. Identify the qualities/expertise you are looking for in a new CEO/President • Be as specific as possible - Financial experience, leadership experience, foundation experience, written/verbal communication skills, proven fund raising successes… • Have a list of attributes that are important- integrity, honesty, passion, determination… Writing the position description • Incorporate qualifications and experience that are required. • Incorporate qualities/attributes that are preferred. • Incorporate any degrees/training that you find necessary or required. • State if there is a geographical requirement. • Include deadline information. • State what is required in addition to a cover letter and a resume. • Include where to send the information and in what format. • Include foundation information- assets, history, mission.

3. Advertising the position • Determine the geographic radius of your search. • Determine where to advertise. • Focused publications/organizations - CMF, MNA, COF… • Online venues - Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com… • Local, regional and statewide newspapers. Assemble a Community Selection Committee • Consider representation from all aspects of your community - Education, Local Government, Non-Profit Leadership, Business Community and your Community Foundation Board. • Community Selection Committee will; review resumes, select candidates to interview, conduct interviews together, make recommendations to the Board of Trustees. • Board of Trustees to determine Community Selection Committee Chair unless noted in bylaws of your foundation.

4. Communicate process to the community (transparency) • Laying out the process to the public. • Report that a search is in motion. • Timing of the process. • Identify that a Community Selection Committee has been named. • Report statistical information about applicants if desired. • Talking with key partners and other foundations in your city/region • Outline the process and timing in-person to other local foundations and businesses that you collaborate with on a consistent basis Applicants information • Determine how all committee members can access information equally. • Devise a ranking system for committee to use for evaluation. • Committee Chair to outline selection process to committee. • Rank top candidates and determine how many you will interview in person. • Collectively decide how many candidates to interview in-person.

5. Create questions for the candidates • Create questions that you would like candidates to answer; some that you may give them prior to interview and some that you will ask them during the interview. • Assign the questions and order of the questions to members of the selection committee so each interview is as identical as possible. Communication with applicants • Send letters to the applicants who did not make the first round of cuts. • Communicate by phone with the semi-finalists or finalists to set up an in-person interview. • Follow-up phone calls with a letter that outlines the particulars of the interview as well as the structure of the interview. • Supply candidates with questions you would like them to prepare for during the interview and inform them that there will be additional questions asked during the interview.

6. Interviews • Interviews should be held at a neutral location. • For consistency, have all the interviews on one day with time in between. • Have the Selection Committee introduce themselves to the candidate and have the candidate introduce themselves to them. • Review the process and timing with each applicant as you begin their interview. • Allow a specific amount of time for the candidate to answer the questions that were provided ahead of time. • Allow a specific amount of time for the candidate to answer the questions that will be asked by the panel. • Allow the last 5-10 minutes for the candidate to ask questions or give any information they feel is critical for the Selection Committee to know at the end of the interview. • Outline the process that will follow for the candidates • Let the candidates know when to expect further communication from the committee and in what form they will receive it. • Outline the next steps in the process so there is an understanding by all parties.

7. Determine the top candidates • Come to consensus on number of candidates to move forward. • Determine if a subsequent round of interviews or presentations are needed. If so, determine date and notify candidates. This could/would include both Selection Committee and Board of Trustees. Approval of the candidate • After the final round of interviews or presentations, the Community Selection Committee would make a recommendation to the Board of Trustees. • Board of Trustees to vote on the recommendation of new CEO/Executive Director. • Board of Trustees to make a formal offer to the selected candidate. • Notify the semi finalists that they were not selected. • Notify other local foundations and key partners of the selection and key partners of the new CEO. • Send out press release naming new CEO/Executive Director. Presentation by Craig McDonald, Alden and Vada Dow Fund, The Midland Area Community Foundation