Filling Leadership Vacancies Requires Care

To the Editor:

While the points raised in “A Growing Leadership Gap” (April 23) are valid, the emphasis on problems associated with finding senior personnel for the nonprofit sector failed to shed light on what can be done to fill the relatively high number of “senior leadership positions” currently vacant in the nonprofit sector.

According to Independent Sector, employment growth at nonprofit groups traditionally has outpaced both business and government, with an average 2.5 percent annual employment growth compared with corporate growth at 1.8 percent or government at 1.6 percent.

As of 2004, however, the Office of Management and Budget had noted a considerable decline in the sector’s employment growth to a mere 0.5 percent. OMB cited multiple factors, including a possible spike in nonprofit employment in recessionary times and a pullback during more robust economic times. Thus, there is constant change in the sector, particularly in times like these.

From over 25 years both in and serving the nonprofit sector, I have seen that economic recessions open opportunities to advance the cause of nonprofits and to attract many talented, experienced professionals to the industry. While I believe a portion of those that will be hired in the months ahead are “looking for a port in the storm,” as the article suggests, nonprofit groups can avoid many of these temporary fixes if they’re willing to invest more time and ever-tightening resources.

Specifically, nonprofits should first have a clear understanding of their personnel needs. Just because a senior program officer has left does not mean that the persson should automatically be replaced. Take inventory of staffing patterns and determine what is necessary. Second, engage the board of directors in the search process. While board members do not manage, they should have a place at the table when it comes to helping to identify talent and possible candidates for the position. Lastly, the search for candidates needs to occur both in the nonprofit marketplace and among the pool of qualified candidates from the for-profit sector.

Nonprofits are asked to do more with less in these economic times. Just like corporate America, we may see times when positions remain unfilled and current staff members are asked to do extra work without extra incentive. At the same time, these times offer great opportunity to engage new personnel in the sector. I encourage nonprofit groups to not sit and wait for them to come; nonprofit organizations need to be aggressive and seek the talent they need to fulfill their worthwhile missions.

Allan Burrows
President
Capital Development Services
Raleigh, N.C.